To Bond Under Fire
by Jasaiya Hawkins
Summary: Hinata is devasted by news of Naruto's death on a mission, but is cheered up when she finds that not all is it seems after all! They grow together, and learn what love truly is. NaruHina!
1. Not All As It Seems!

Future fic! In this chapter, unless said otherwise, italicized parts are words that Naruto once said to Hinata. Go NaruHina!

**Disclaimer: I neither own Naruto or the characters or anything else associated with this manga/anime! This story is purely for the sake of appeasing my need for NaruHina pairings! Likewise, neither do I own the song Hinata sings, "Soulmate", by Natasha Bedingfield. I had an AMV done to that song on my NaruHina playlist on youtube and it struck me as a good summary for their relationship. I'm glad it did, because I wanted to make this chapter longer and it greatly helps. Natasha Bedingfield, for the sake of this story, you exist in the Naruto universe and Hinata likes your music!**

--

Hinata fell to her knees in shock, tears pouring down her pale face. She had held up in the front of her family, kept her cool. Lately she had grown stronger, which had earned her respect in the eyes of the family council. Even her father had started to be proud of her. All of this was thanks to the support of the one few who truly believed in her, Naruto Uzamaki. He had suddenly decided one day to help her train, recognizing that she wanted to be stronger.

_"I understand how that feels. And I know for a fact that you only need one person to truly believe in you and to help for that to happen. So let me be that one person."_

That's what he had told her, so long ago, almost a year ago. And she had accepted his help gladly, both for the sake of getting stronger and for the chance to get over shyness around him. A chance to get to know him, to find out the kind of girl he liked was the chance of a lifetime. And she had even gotten to the point where she wasn't passing out around him and could talk straightly without stuttering!

"But what good is that now?!" Hinata sobbed to herself, hugging herself tightly. She had come to a spot deep in the forest around Konoha, where no one would find her. Now she kneeled on the wet part of a cave floor. Naruto had often taken her to do meditation and chakra control exercises, since he knew that her skill was in chakra control.

_"Just think about it! You're pretty well rounded in your skills. And your chakra control is not only your best skill, but what's necessary for a lot of your family taijutsu. Even if you don't have a monstrous amount of chakra like me, if you're good enough with your control you could be deadly!"_

"Naruto," Hinata cried, hating her weakness and inability to confess to Naruto.

It was too late for that now. Naruto had died while on a mission with Sakura and Kakashi. Hinata had not seen him for three weeks and she was planning on welcoming him home. They had come back from their mission without him, Sakura doing her best to look strong. All that they could bring back was his bag of supplies, as his body had been incerated by a deadly fire jutsu. Kakashi looked hunched over in gried. Sakura had been trying to obey one of the shinobi rules, as Hinata had done in front of her family council. Iruka had drilled them into their minds in the academy.

_"Remember!" Iruka barked, tapping his pointer against the board emphatically where he had written out the rule in large letters. "Shinobi rule number 25: Shinobi never show their emotions."_

But even if she was a ninja, she was still human. She had a heart, feelings. She hated, hurted, grew attached, and loved. And the love of her life she had never confessed to was now dead. Alone, she could trust herself to show her feelings.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, for my weakness, my cowardice. I let you down," Hinata called out. She suddenly remembered a promise the two of them had made four months ago, in this very cave.

_"Hinata, we're ninja, so we're bound to have dangerous situations. We may even die while on a mission. Let's promise that we'll always be there for each other. And also, should one of us die on a mission, we won't be sad for too long. We cry for a little while then move on, always remembering the fallen in our heart, being strong their sake. More than anything, we won't seek revenge for each other. I can't stand to see another Sasuke again."_

She put on a determined expression and stood up, wiping her tears away. She would keep that promise to him. One of the details of that day stuck out in her mind, one she had not actively noted. He was blushing for some reason. "Could...he have been having growing feelings for me?" Hinata wondered. "Maybe we were meant to be soulmates after all."

Unbidden, a song came to her lips, and she sung it, her soft alto voice bouncing pleasantly off the cave walls.

_Incompatible, it don't matter though  
'cos someone's bound to hear my cry  
Speak out if you do  
You're not easy to find _

Is it possible Mr. Loveable  
Is already in my life?  
Right in front of me  
Or maybe you're in disguise

Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
Who knows how to love you without being told  
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Here we are again, circles never end  
How do I find the perfect fit  
There's enough for everyone  
But I'm still waiting in line

Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
Who knows how to love you without being told  
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
If there's a soulmate for everyone

If there's a soulmate for everyone

Most relationships seem so transitory  
They're all good but not the permanent one

Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
Who knows how to love you without being told  
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
Who knows how to love you without being told  
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
If there's a soulmate for everyone  
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Now truly feeling better, she turned to leave the cave. She would feign tiredness after a long day and go to bed early.

As she turned to leave the cave, she was shocked to find Sakura and Kakashi waiting outside the cave. Kakashi's amused grin could be faintly seen from under his mask. "Hinata, come with us," Kakashi ordered. "It concerns Naruto. It's very important." Sakura held out a piece of paper to Hinata, and she took it with trembling hands.

_Hinata,_

_If you're reading this, I am not dead! We're extremely close, so I know once you're told of my "death", you'll be crying. Please don't. I'm a bit injured, but fine. I faked my death to complete a top secret mission. I know you'll want to see me, and I want to see you, just to convince that I am actually alive. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura are not playing a cruel joke on you._

_The truth is I'm not confident that I can complete my mission on my own. So I was curtly told by Tsunade-baa-chan to pick a partner and she would arrange for that person to be free. I want you to be my partner for this mission. I have faith in your abilities, and know I can trust you with not only my life, but my soul, as well as my deepest secrets. You're free to refuse this. If you accept, follow Sakura and she'll take you to where I am. Kakashi-sensei will take word to Tsunade-baa-chan that you're accepting._

_If not, put a brave face on and pretend to deal with my "death". I won't be able to see you until after the mission ends. I'll be hoping for a hero's welcome, so wait for me. Either way, I hope to see you soon. I'm sorry for deceiving you. But this is necessary. For now, I can't say more. Hinata, either way, I swear to you right now that I will return. You have my word on that. And you know I don't go back on my word._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Naruto Uzamaki_

"That idiot," Hinata swore softly, tears leaking out once more. "Of course I'll accept this mission. We'll go the distance together." Sakura smiled.

"Then follow me," Sakura instructed. "He's not far. Oh, one more thing. This must not go beyond us. In other words, a S-class secret. Is that understood?" Hinata nodded solemnly. "Good. We're clear to continue then." Kakashi returned to Konoha to tell Tsunade that Hinata was accepting.

Sakura led Hinata deeper into the forest in the meantime. "We're here," she said at last. "Kakashi-sensei will arrange for your absence. This mission has a lot of requirements, so you won't be able to go home for awhile. We'll get you everything you need."

"I-I understand," Hinata stammered.

"Naruto, we're coming in," Sakura called into cave they had come to. "You stay where you are. If I find that you moved in your condition, I swear that I'll punch you into the wall!"

There was a load groan from inside the cave. Hinata giggled. She had heard that groan several times when she had been training with Naruto. "Wha?! Hinata?!" Naruto cried out.

"Come on." Sakura gently pushed Hinata into the cave.

"Naruto," Hinata gasped, relieved. He was sitting up against the wall of the cave, his shirt removed. Bandages wrapped around his torso and right shoulder. His left ankle was propped up, his pants leg rolled up. "Thank goodness. You really scared me." She went to his side and sat down next to him. "How are your injuries?"

"Fine," Naruto insisted. "We had been planning to fake my death. The fire jutsu wasn't part of the plan though." Naruto grimaced. "But we still had a safe place prepared here, so they brought me here just the same."

"We couldn't very well have a supposedly dead guy alive and recovering in the hospital," Sakura huffed.

"Well, you both played your parts splendidly," Hinata stated, complimenting them. "Kakashi-sensei looked really genuine, with how he hunched up his shoulders. Really good acting."

Sakura turned to glare at Naruto. "It wasn't acting," Sakura grated. "That boy is heavy. Kakashi-sensei knew an invisibility jutsu and placed it over Naruto so we could sneak him into the village. Naruto had to hold on his own and keep quiet." Naruto laughed nervously. "Thankfully his injuries were mitigated though. The reason the fire jutsu didn't completely incerinate him was that he had just gotten completely soaked."

"Brr.." Naruto said. "That water was cold. First extreme cold, then extreme heat. All within a few seconds." He shuddered.

"The extreme opposites one after another stunned him, resulting in his ankle injury," Sakura explained. "It's only a serious sprain, and it's almost completely healed. Two more days of rest and you two will be starting your mission."

Both of them were fine with that. They fell asleep knowing that soon they would be on their own, but they would have each other. They could get through anything with that on their side.


	2. Starting Off

Well, after some collaboration with some of my family, who act as my soundboards, I have figured out what is going to happen for the most part. And boy were they being a pain in the butt! They're very sarcastic at times. But we figured it out, and here we are again. I'll be trying to make the chapter's longer from now on. I'll be developing the plot, so hopefully that'll make the chapters longer. Also, still trying to figure out how old they currently are. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

--

Two days later, Naruto and Hinata were prepared to start the mission, which they had never discussed. Though that wasn't on their mind at the moment. No, it was their new looks that were occupying their mind. Both of them had undergone a change, because Naruto was supposed to be dead. And he had a very distinct look. While everyone went either black, muted, or soft colors, Naruto stuck out like a sore thumb in his bright orange clothing. But then again, so were his eyes and hair. Almost everything about him was bright, one of the things Hinata loved about him.

"Gah, this doesn't look right," Naruto moaned as he put the final touches on his new outfit. Two blindfolded shadow clones held a dark blanket between the two changing, since the cave didn't exactly offer privacy. Likewise, two blindfolded shadow clones held another dark blanket over the cave entrance. "There's no brightness to it. I wish I didn't have to blend in."

"Naruto, I'm done changing," Hinata said.

"Same here," Naruto replied. He dispelled the shadow clones. The blankets and blindfolds fell to the ground quickly. "Well, at least your new look is good on you." Hinata blushed at the compliment, earning a knowing grin from Naruto. Her original shoes were gone, replaced by ones that went up to her knees. Black, baggy knee length shorts covered her upper legs and waist, held in place by a simple sash. A tight purple shirt with half sleeves replaced her jacket and shirt. Her long hair had been put up with a clip. "Hm...we're supposed to be entirely different people. We need to do something about your eyes. The Hyuuga Clan only has a presence here in Konoha and we aren't supposed to be from Konoha."

"You look good as well. I definitely prefer the orange on you, but this looks just as good. It compliments your skin tone," Hinata told him. Naruto shrugged. His bright orange outfit was gone, replaced by black, full length pants. The weights he had started using a few years ago were still wrapped securely onto his lower eggs. A forest green muscle shirt was on his chest, as well as armored bracers on his lower arms. Both had replaced their Konoha headbands with blank ones.

"Do you guys remember your story?" Kakashi questioned from the doorway as he walked in. He tossed something to Naruto and Hinata.

"Yep, we do," Naruto told him, pulling on the dark glasses Kakashi had thrown him. He would wear these until they were safely past Konoha borders. Hinata had been thrown a small box, which turned out to be contacts. Hinata easily put them in, and Naruto was shocked to see that Hinata had brown eyes now. He blinked. "Wow, that's different. But a good different."

"What's your story then?" Kakashi quizzed.

"I'm Mariko, and this is my half brother Darun. We only have the same father, whom we're currently trying to find," Hinata answered back perfectly. "Darun was abandoned by his mother, which was why he was raised by mine. She died six months ago, and we want to let him know the bad news. But he's extremely crafty and sly, which is why it's taking so long to find him. But it was our mother's dying wish that we find him, so we aren't giving up."

"Perfect," Kakashi said happily. "Hinata, you have more contacts in your bag. The money's also in your bag. And your father wishes you luck on your mission." He handed her a bag and she slipped it over her shoulders. Naruto shouldered his. "From this point on, you two are no longer Konoha ninja, but wandering ninja on the search for your family. I'll be keeping an eye on Naruto's apartment. So good luck and hurry back." He grinned and left the cave.

As they started down the path Kakashi had marked for them, the one which would take them out of Konoha discreetly, Hinata asked what their mission was about.

"On the road I'll tell you," Naruto promised. "Less chance of being overheard. As it is, this is the secret gate used by undercover agents of Konoha we're leaving from." Hinata nodded. The contacts felt weird in her eyes. She wondered if they would affect the use of her Byakugan.

Two hours later, they were officially out of Konoha. Naruto removed the dark glasses and tossed them to Hinata. "I can tell that your contacts are bothering you. If they get too bad, take them out and wear those instead," Naruto explained. Hinata smiled appreciatively and tucked the glasses into a side pocket of her bag. "Now, you asked about the mission."

"Yeah, what is the objective of the mission?" Hinata asked.

"Uhm....it's actually not a big threat right now, but it has a good possibility of causing problems for Konoha, so we're solving this now," Naruto muttered. "Actually, it's more like an internal dispute within my family. Quite a bother, but one of my family members already tried to kill me once. I have enough people after me, so I don't need another one."

"Wait, family?" Hinata questioned. "I thought you were an orphan." Naruto chuckled.

"When I was an orphan, I wanted a family. Now I have a family and one of them wants me dead. The gist of it this: My dad's older sister had a dispute with the family and left, and now that there is the gurantee of me inheriting, she wants to stop me from inheriting and inherit herself. It sounds like a huge sibling dispute to me. Either way it needs to be solved," Naruto complained.

"Sounds fun," Hinata stated sarcastically. "And we're heading where now?"

"My mom's family. My dad left his personal will with them, because it pertains specifically to me. He didn't trust Konoha enough apparently to make sure I got it. And my dad's family is all but gone, so he left it there with them. They're still waiting for me to come get it. I just need to go get it there," Naruto said back nonchalantly. "And this will solve the problem entirely."

Naruto pulled a locket from his bag and handed it to Hinata. As they went down the road, she opened it. Two pictures had been placed inside. One was with a man and a woman. Hinata squinted her eyes to see them clearly. The woman had long red hair. Her eye color couldn't seen. But she had one arm wrapped around the man's waist and her other on the swollen stomach she hosted. She was pregnant. The man had short, spiky blonde hair. He was kneeling next to the woman, one hand on one of her shoulder's and one also touching her stomach. Both looked extremely happy.

The picture on the other side showed the same couple, only the woman wore a hospital gown and held a healthy baby boy in her arms. The baby was trying to get closer to the camera, trying to investigate it.

"That was taken just after I was born." Naruto's voice broke Hinata from her examination of the pictures. "My mom's name was Kushina. She died shortly after I was born, due to complications caused by the nine tail's attacking on the same day. I have her last name, since my father apparently had a lot of enemies and he didn't want me targeted. He too died on the day the nine tailed fox attacked."

"They look so happy," Hinata noted, handing the locket back.

"I talked to someone who was a friend of my mom's. They were really looking forward to seeing me grow, so proud that they finally had a child of their own. They had spent quite a lot of time and effort outfitting a nursery for me. But the house was destroyed in the attacked," Naruto said, a serious look on his face. "I wish they could have lived. I bet they would have been good parents, parents to be proud of."

"That man looked familiar. I can't place from where though." Hinata tried to think of where she had seen that man before. "I feel I should know his face."

"He should be. He's one of the bravest shinobi Konoha ever saw," Naruto told her. "We talked about him all the time in academy. Student of the Jiraiya of the Sannin, teacher to Kakashi-sensei. Minato Namikaze." Hinata gasped. "My father lived and died as a hero. No son could be prouder." And that showed on his face.

"Despite all of these family problems, you're happy," Hinata realized.

"My whole life I thought I was a nobody, a son of a nobody. I had no family history, nothing. Now it feels like my identity, both as a ninja and a person, is a little more complete," Naruto gushed. His face showed nothing but contentment as he journeyed down the empty road. "It's very relieving actually. A weight off my shoulders. Once I meet my mom's family, I would like to stay there for awhile. Or make plans to go back. You know, to get to know them."

"Won't they think you're just a ghost or something? You're supposed to be dead," Hinata questioned.

"Nah, they set up security questions and stuff," Naruto replied. "And they know I'm a ninja. But my dad's family won't be able to even open it. It has a blood seal on it, with my blood taken at birth. And since my body was incinerated to ash, no blood left." He grinned. "So they're going to not want to believe I'm dead, and continue searching. But they won't be able to find me. And if they do, they won't beat me down. So it's pretty much assured that I find my father's will and see it through."

"But they'll still try," Hinata intoned. Naruto nodded.

"But they can't beat us if we're together," Naruto swore triumphantly. "I not only picked you because I can trust you with absolutely anything, but I know you're strong. There's no one that can stop us now. And you have one vital ability that will be a great help to us." Hinata looked confused. He pointed to his eyes.

"Oh," Hinata laughed. "I suppose you're right."

That night as they stopped to set up camp, Naruto left Hinata alone at the camp to gather firewood and water, using shadow clones to get the job done faster. By the time he returned, Hinata had set up the fire pit. "Hinata, see how your eyes are affected," Naruto suggested. Hinata activated her Byakugan. Her eyes watered up as the contacts hurt her eyes upon activation. As her eyes watered and she stumbled, Naruto caught her. "You should take them out and just keep your eyes hidden. We won't have the time to stop and take them out in a fight."

Hinata deactivated the bloodline trait and removed the contacts, clearing her eyes. "Ouch," she muttered.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, concern.

"I'm fine," Hinata promised. "I'll just have to make a mental note to never wear contacts again. They don't mix well with my eyes." She pulled the dark glasses from her bag and put them on, testing her Byakugan. She was delighted to see that they still worked normally with no inhibitions with the glasses on. "It still works normally with the glasses on. I'll just wear them and say I have really sensitive eyes."

"That's good to hear," Naruto told her. "Hinata, can you be honest with me about something?"

"Of course."

"Are you happy at home?" Naruto asked, dead serious. "Really, are you happy with how your life is now? I have to know."

"My relationship with my family is still strained," Hinata said hesitantly. "It's a lot better than it was before, but they're watching me very carefully. One mistake could send it all downhill."

"That's another reason I wanted you to come on this mission," Naruto told her. "I could see that you weren't completely happy, so I thought maybe you could use some time away from home. We shouldn't have any serious problems on this mission, it's just going to meet some people and pick up some papers, albeit highly wanted papers which could mean absolutely anything for Konoha. So maybe some time with one of your friend's away from the source of stress would be nice. Did I do right?"

"Yes, you did," Hinata told him. Naruto beamed, glad that he had seen it all and done something about it. "This is exactly what I needed. Thank you." She hugged him. Naruto turned a little red at the contact.

Naruto took the first watch, letting Hinata get some sleep. _There's hope! _she thought joyfully. _Naruto has hugged other girls and not blushed. But he did for me. Naruto may like me after all. I hope that I'm not imagining things. But even so, him just being such a good friend is enough. But I would really like it if we could be more than friends. _Giggling softly, she turned over and fell asleep. _I should tell him soon _was the last conscious thought in her mind.

As Hinata slipped into slumber with a small smile on her face, Naruto walked over and covered her up further. He brushed some hair from her face as well. "Sleep well, my angel," he wished in a whisper. "When this mission is over, I'll ask you out properly. So hopefully you'll be able to put up with the idiot that I am until then."


	3. Calm Before The Storm

A couple of quick review responses to deal with. Yeah, I'm a lazy bum who didn't feel like doing them individually, I know.

diff-r-ent-1: Thanks for the tip about Hinata's eyes. Your idea makes much more sense than mine, so I'll be incorporating that into this chapter.

ICB-RAIDEN: Thanks for explaining about the age thing. I hadn't realized something you pointed out, so kudos to you for correcting me on my wrong point of view. I have decided on their age thanks to that review. :) Naruto is twenty and Hinata is eighteen.

Another thing, I based some of the OC's off of characters I am already familiar with. With Darun's and Mariko's dad, imagine Marian Cross. Except this one isn't so held back and careful. Last I checked, he never had any kids. Also, their mother was based off of Anita. Anyone who recognizes these characters should get an understanding of the personalities behind these characters.

So, now that the responses out of the way, let's get this show on the road! I'm sorry about the crappy length, but I'm trying to fix that, so put up with me until I do.

--

The next morning, Hinata extinguished their fire and minimized the signs of their being there. "We should get into character," Naruto recommended.

"Alright. But I had an idea for my eyes," Hinata said, pulling out a length of bandage from her bag. She removed the glasses and bandaged her eyes. "I was in an accident a year ago and lost my sight, so I bandage them to keep people from staring at my scars and learned how to fight without my sight. This won't come off in a fight so easily and it still lets me see, while hiding signs shown while using _that."_

Naruto understood what Hinata meant by "_that_". She meant the Byakugan. And he liked the idea she had with her eyes, and he told her this.

So they started that day's travel, fleshing out their stories so it matched up. Their father was a wandering ninja, named Kanyon. He liked to travel, often getting drunk and sleeping with random women in his wide-spread travels. Thus, he ended up with several children, all from different women. Naruto's mother was named Lenya, and she had abandoned him shortly after naming him, left him in a random village, and he was eventually taken in by Tenyo, who had just given birth to Mariko. By this time, he was already almost two years old and Mariko was still just an infant. Thus, Mariko and Darun grew up together and had absolute trust in each other, only being who they were today thanks to being raised together. They had gotten into and out of trouble together, while helping each other grow stronger.

Now Tenyo had died six months ago, and despite Kanyon's abandoning her and their child, she still loved him until the very last day of her life, even leaving him something after she died. It had been left up to Mariko and Darun to find this Kanyon and deliver it. And neither of them wanted to see the father who had abandoned them. But it was their mother's last wish, so they had agreed to do so. Darun thought of Tenyo as his own mother.

Still, it was disconcerting to Naruto to see Hinata walking down the road blindfolded and without assistance. It felt like any minute she would suddenly slip on a rock and fall on her face. But she was apparently having no problems.

Naruto himself had taken off the weights, having decided that Darun would be a taijutsu/ninjutsu expert. He wasn't nearly as fast as Lee, but he was fast. He didn't think anyone could be as fast as that guy. Mariko was a taijutsu specialist, focusing more on blind fighting than any other form of taijutsu.

But the last thing they had expected when they went through a town on their way to Naruto's aunt's house was to see ninja from Konoha. It was evening time, the sun setting. "Change your voice," Naruto whispered into her ear. "Familiar faces. They musn't recognize us." Hinata nodded. "It's also crowded, so stick close to me and stay in character. I'm going replenish our food supply. I don't when we'll be in a town again."

Naruto, acting as Darun, led his "sister" to the local market. She clung to his arm, fighting a blush.

_I'm so close to Naruto! _Hinata thought with a jolt. With how they were walking together, she felt like his girlfriend.

"Excuse us," Naruto said, brushing past Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji, Hinata on his arm. It was crowded today, probably market day in this town. Hinata tripped over Ino's foot, which jutted out away from the rest of her body. She stumbled and Naruto caught her.

"I'm so sorry," Ino quickly said, grabbing Hinata's other arm and helping Naruto pull Hinata to her feet. "I didn't see you coming. Is your friend okay?"

"Mariko's fine," Naruto insisted with a grin. Hinata nearly squeaked as she recognized Ino's voice. She could see with the bandage over her eyes, but not perfectly.

"Is that injury recent?" Ino inquired. "I'm a medical ninja, so I may be able to help."

"My accident happened a year ago," Hinata said, her voice a tad softer than usual. "My big brother Darun likes to make sure I'm okay, even though I'm capable of taking care of myself. But I love his company all the same." She broke out into a smile, her words not all lies.

"How do you fight blind?" Chouji rudely asked. Ino scowled and whacked him over the head. "You're a wandering ninja, right?"

"Don't be so rude!" Ino scolded. "I'm sorry about him. He's a bit blunt at times, when his mind is not on food."

"Oh, it's fine," Hinata amended. "Darun helped me create a fighting style that doesn't depend on my sight. My vision may be gone, but my other senses have improved thanks to this and I fight using those."

"I've never meant a wandering ninja," Shikamaru mused. "Do you guys have something particular that you're doing? Or just wandering, as your profession entails?"

"We're actually searching for our father," Darun gladly told them. If they were looking for someone, they should still ask around, just to keep up appearances. "He's kinda a vagabond, but it was our mother's last wish we find him and give him something. She loved him until the end." Ino was staring at Naruto with wide eyes. "Is there something on my face?" he asked her.

"Oh, sorry," Ino quickly said, looking away. "You just look almost exactly like a friend of our's who just died. His death hit a lot of people hard." Naruto remained silent. "It's just me being silly. A part of me likes to think that Naruto couldn't have died so easily. The guy was insanely strong." She laughed nervously.

"I'm sorry about your loss," Mariko said consolingly. "It sounds like he was very important to a lot of people. We just recently lost our mother, so we can understand that pain."

"Anyway, we should get going," Shikamaru mentioned, looking at a clock on a stall wall. "We're not but two days from home. If we're going to get home in time for Naruto's funeral, we need to get on the road now." Naruto put some food into his arms as Shikamaru spoke.

"Good luck on your mission," Ino called as Shikamaru dragged her away. "If you're ever in Konoha, look me up. I'll see if I can help you find your father. Maybe he stopped by in our home village." With that said, Ino's team was lost from view. They paid for their food and left the crowded stall. Naruto and Hinata ended up in the public park, where he packed the food into their bag.

"That was intense," Naruto moaned as he zipped Hinata's bag shut. After all, she was supposed to be blind and couldn't see where the bag was and how to pack it properly. "Didn't think that would happen." Hinata placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, silently reminding him to keep into character but feeling sorry for him at the same time. "At least I still have you."

He found a decent inn for them to stay in that night. As Hinata fell asleep that night, a hauntingly soft flute played from a nearby room, luring Hinata into a gentle night's slumber.


	4. The Storm, Part I

Naruto: -glares at Jasaiya- You're up to something.

Jasaiya: -looks hurt- Who? Me? Would I do that? -grins evilly behind his back-

Hinata: I saw that! Naruto! She's grinning here!

Naruto: Hah! -runs over-

Jasaiya: -quickly wipes grins from face, looking hurt once more- You're both seeing things. All I want is to see you two come together happily. I fight for your happiness!

Naruto and Hinata: -scoffs-

Jasaiya: Fine, I'll prove it. -drops them both into the story- Now get into character and be good fictional figments of imagination created by Musashi Kishimoto!

Naruto and Hinata: AAH! -vanish into the story line-

Jasaiya: Urg, another short chapter. Sorry about these. But I write them as I feel them. And this is all I'm feeling for this chapter. This sucks, man. Oh, and Yondaimerocks56695 pointed out something, a mistake I made. So I fixed it. :)

--

"Hinata, it's time to wake up." Hinata rolled over in her sleep and sat up, instantly awake. Naruto stood next to her bed, fully dressed. His bag was over his shoulders. He looked ready to go. "Well, you coming or not?"

"I'm coming," Hinata assured. "Can you leave the room while I change?" Naruto left the room without a word so Hinata could change. She distinctly sensed that something was bothering him. _Could what happened yesterday with Ino's team still be bothering him? _Hinata thought as she pulled on her shoulders and put her hair up. _It wouldn't surprise me. _

Wanting to find out what was wrong, she hurried to dress and practically ran out the room to rejoin Naruto, who was leaning against the wall. "You ready to go?"

"Yes, let's go." Hinata fell into step. Naruto didn't say anything to her, just walked beside her silently. "Is everything okay? You usually make small talk as we start on our trip again."

"Oh..yeah. Guess I do. But I'm impatient to get home. That's all. Let's just get our mission done," Naruto huffed. Hinata balked at his bad mood. It sometimes took awhile for him to wake up, but he was never in bad moods when he woke up. He didn't snap at people generally, usually in a good mood, if not a bit half asleep. He acted like he did when was only a genin, that chaotic goofiness.

"Right...." Hinata's sentence trailed off. She looked at his back as they left the inn. His demeanor made a kind of aura appear around him, one which made everyone back away from him. Naruto's expression was the coldest one she had ever seen on him. "Is yesterday still bothering you? I would understand. I just want to know what is bothering you." Naruto grit his teeth, still not answering.

"Yeah...." Naruto finally replied, slowing his pace. "It did bother me a lot. But that'll pass." Hinata looked at him carefully. Something didn't feel right.

"Then I'll just be there for you when I can. We'll get through this together," Hinata promised, grabbing his arm. "Lead on, big brother." She grinned, now keeping pace with him.

The day passed in silence. Naruto still had the cold look on his face, a oddly detached expression. This wasn't like Naruto, not one bit. The Naruto she knew would bear this with a grin, trying to smile fakefully, pushing it off as nothing. But he would remain optimistic and determined, not be so negative. Then she wondered if his injuries were still bothering him. Sakura had fully healed his ankle, but his burns had been mostly healed by the time they had set off, so she had left those to heal on their own. Could he bothered them again somehow?

"Are your injuries bothering you?" Hinata asked, more concerned than ever. "It's okay to admit that."

"I'm fine!" Naruto half-shouted after a span of silence. "Stop worrying about me so much. Honestly, you treat me as if I'm a child." Hinata stopped short. "What is it now? Come on!"

Hinata shook her head stubbornly. "Not until you tell me what's wrong," she demanded. "This isn't like you. I'm not moving until we get this solved, or at least understood."

Naruto had always been impatient as a genin. But he had changed over the years, slowly maturing and developing a sense of patience. Sakura had still called him an idiot and blockhead on several occasions, because he still had a tendency to think too simply, preferring brute strength over strategy, but that had changed as well given enough time. He had shown a huge amount of patience and brain power when he had finally retaken the chuunin exam.

Hinata had seen this herself, as she and Kiba had been his temporary team for the exam. But he long gotten past the tendency of keeping his emotions so bottled up to the point of explosion like this. Either he was _really _bothered by the recent turn of events...or this wasn't Naruto. She activated her Byakugan and looked around. This wasn't reality. This was a genjutsu. And she was caught in it.

"My problem is you!" Naruto exploded. Hinata kept a calm mind. Who knew what could be going on. She wasn't going to be caught off guard. "You lag behind and take your time on such an important mission, and then waste more time on trying to find out what's wrong. It's annoying. I thought I could trust you with how important this is to me. I knew I should have undertaken this alone!"

Hinata's expression grew fierce. "Who are you?" she asked simply, drawing a kunai and assuming a ready position.

"What are you talking about? You know who I am," Naruto said coldly. "Now put that away and come on. We still have to finish this mission sometimes in the next century."

"I said, who are you?" Hinata questioned. Naruto sighed. "Fine, where did you take me to train?"

"Train? We haven't trained recently." Naruto had an incredolous expression on his face.

"Wrong answer," Hinata declared. "Back home, where did we train? Think!"

"In Konoha of course," Naruto said quickly. "Satisfied?"

"You aren't my friend," Hinata said simply. Naruto looked at her stupidly. She ran at him, ready to attack. He blocked her with his own kunai.

"What's your freckin problem?!" Naruto exclaimed angrily. "We're teammates, so why are you making groundless accusations and attacking me?"

"You aren't my friend!" Hinata insisted, pushing herself away from him. She made a handsign. "Kai!" Nothing changed. She looked around wildly.

"Content now?" Naruto mused, expression angry. "We've wasted enough time. Now come on!" Hinata refused to say anything, focusing all her chakra into one burst. "Fine, I'll leave you behind. Catch up when you come back to your senses!" He turned to leave.

"KAI!" Hinata shouted once more, the birds scattering into the sky with the strength of her outburst. Not that they were real. She knew what was going on. That wasn't Naruto. Even her surroundings were fake. No, this was a genjutsu. And she wasn't going to fall for it any longer.


	5. The Storm, Part II

Naruto and Hinata had gotten a room together, after all, they were siblings. It was perfectly acceptable that they sleep in the same room together. They had to keep up appearances. His heart rate picked up as they both lay down in their separate beds. Hinata was much more than a mere girl to him. No, she was much more. But until the mission ended, he would have to keep it under control. Until they were safely back at Konoha, they were Mariko and Darun, siblings.

What he didn't look forward to was convincing Hiashi Hyuuga to accept him. He probably had men waiting in line for the right to marry Hinata. After all, she was the eldest daughter. Whoever married her partially inherited the right to govern the entire Hyuuga Clan. He didn't particularly like the Hyuuga Clan, their arrogance and pride, their dogma when it came to life. Not only that, Hinata wasn't happy there. There was little he would not be willing to do for the sake of his angel.

But he shook himself from his musing. That was a problem for another day. He heard a gentle tune coming from a flute a few rooms down. _Hmm..a musician..._Naruto thought as he kept himself awake. Even if they were in an inn now, they didn't know if they had enemies out there or how close they were. Hinata didn't know that he was keeping an eye on their situation. If she did, she would insist on doing it first, since he had taken the first watch yesterday.

All was well until a few minutes into the flute song. Naruto felt foreign chakra trying to enter his system. He understood in instantly. There was a genjutsu user right down the hall from them, and this ninja was obviously targeting them! Naruto shot out of bed and ran to Hinata's side. He shook her shoulder. "Hey, wake up!" Naruto hissed. He didn't want to draw the civilians who were in this inn to become involved. "Wake up! There's an enemy!" Naruto turned on the lamp and looked at Hinata closer.

She had a troubled expression on her fair face, and her hand twitched jerkily, vaguely forming the handsign needed to break free of genjutsu.

"Crap!" Naruto swore. Hinata was trapped in the genjutsu. He hadn't fallen prey to it since he had boosted his defense from genjutsu, knowing it was one of his weaknesses. It would have to be an extremely powerful genjutsu to trap him if he knew it was there. Hinata was primarily a taijutsu user though, with some ninjutsu and probably little genjutsu. She had no such defenses as he did. After he took care of this, this would have to be adressed.

Focusing a charge of chakra into his right hand, he thrust his hand roughly into Hinata's shoulder, forcing his chakra into her system. Jiraiya, when he had been alive, had told him that were two ways to break a genjutsu. If one was inside it, a huge burst of chakra from oneself, cancelling out the enemies technique. If your chakra wasn't enough, you were stuck unless someone defeated the enemy genjutsu user. Or if someone else forced an equally large amount of chakra into the victim's chakra circulatory system, thus cancelling out the technique from the outside.

But that also wasn't working. Naruto cursed and summoned four shadow clones and a few toads. Luck was on his side. One of his favorite toad summons was a large blue and orange toad which specialized in defense and cloaking, and that was one of the toads who had arrived. "Protect Hinata," he ordered. "There's a genjutsu user nearby and I can't break her out of it. I'm going to defeat that enemy." The summons and clones nodded quickly, all assuming defensive positions around her. But first he made one of his clones fall prey to the genjutsu.

"Wait, boss," Tora, the defense and cloaking expert, said, hopping over to Naruto. He slapped Naruto with a single limb and Naruto felt the familiar invisibility genjutsu slip over his person. "This will hold until you attack."

"Thanks, Tora," Naruto said, relieved that he had gotten to know many of the toads in the mystic valley where they the toads all lived unless they were summoned so well. "I owe you one." Tora nodded and resumed his previous defensive position.

Outside in the hall, Naruto followed the sound of the flute until he found the source. It was a room three doors down and across the hall. Naruto snuck out onto the roof and lowered himself down to window where the genjutsu user sat.

On the bed inside the room, a lone woman sat on the bed, serenely playing a soft melody on the flute, her eyes closed. Her face had a smug expression on it. She didn't look all that strong, but Naruto knew better than to judge by appearances. The woman had wild flame red hair, wearing a black tunic and leggings. Nimble fingers slid across the metal windpipe instrument in her hands. He would keep this short and simple.

Silently, he cracked open the window enough for him to slip though. The genjutsu user didn't even notice. Or if she did, she didn't show any signs of noticing. He was operating under the assumption that she was aware. Of course, this might be a genjutsu as well, so he was prepared for anything.

"I know you're there, boy," the lady whispered. She opened her eyes. Flame red eyes met his, and he recoiled at the sight. "Come here to protect your girlfriend? She's not much fun to torture. She has too much faith in you. Will you provide a more interesting time to me?" She jumped up and a handful of shuriken came at him. Naruto dodged them all, pulling out a kunai. More came flying at him, but he blocked them all with the kunai, sliding under the woman's outstretched arm. It was one of his special kunai, made of chakra metal. He ran chakra through it.

The air whistled as he brought it down. Not on the woman, but on the flute. The flute was sliced cleanly in half, the two pieces falling to bed with a soft thump. She froze, her weapon gone. "Who are you and who sent you?" Naruto demanded, knocking the stunned woman onto her back and placing his kunai at her pale throat. "This was too easy. Now answer my question and no lies." His fury shone forth from his face.

"I-I'm Rhena," she stammered. "I was sent by Ciera Hajin to find you and take you to her. My orders were to kill anyone with you."

"Are you alone?" Rhena nodded, gulping. "This Ciera Hajin, is she married?"

"And with child," Rhena said. Naruto nodded understandably.

"What's her maiden name?" Naruto demanded.

"N-n-namikaze," the woman gasped, having hesitated to answer the question. Naruto had pushed his Kunai onto her skin, drawing blood. "Please, don't kill me."

"No worries, I won't kill you," Naruto swore. Rhena looked relieved. "But neither am I falling for your weak and defenseless act. I'm sending you somewhere nice and safe, where you'll tell the prison warden exactly what he wants to know." Naruto made a few handsigns. "Hitoya Hansou no Jutsu!" **(Prison Transport Jutsu. I'm picking random words from the japanese-english dictionary and 'no jutsu' to the end. So forgive me if I get it wrong please!) **Rhena's eyes went wide as she was transported to a prison set up just for this jutsu. The torturer Hibiki Morino would be having quite a fun time with her.

--

Author's note: Yes, before anyone asks or points it out in a review or private message, I _did_base Rhena off of the Victoria from the Twilight book series by Stephanie Meyer. I have all the books, the movie, and even Twilight dogtags for crying out loud. I'll be getting Twilight stickers and the albums from the movie soon as well. So, yes, I am obsessed with Twilight and Victoria's character seemed just perfect for this role. For the record, **I _DO NOT_ own Twilight or the characters from Twilight, nor anything else that has to do with that book series**. So there, the disclaimer for Twilight. :) My Rhena though is not quite as tough as Victoria from Twilight. And she's a ninja, not a vampire. XD

--

Naruto returned the normal way to his room and found Hinata awake, trembling. She was surrounded still by the clones and summoned toads. "Hinata, are you OK?" Naruto asked, relieved to see her free from the jutsu. "Rhena didn't cause you any problems, did she?"

"I'm fine," Hinata told him. He sent the toads back after thanking them and his shadow clones vanished as well. "I'm sorry I got caught in it though."

"I'm going to teach you the defense I learned against genjutsu," Naruto assured her. "That'll help you a lot. Out of curiosity, what did she show you? If you don't mind me asking."

"She appeared as you," Hinata summarized quickly. "You weren't yourself at all. I could see right through it. 'You' said that I was only dragging you down and that I was a hindrance. You even threatened to leave me behind. Either she likes causing people pain or she wasn't very strong. Or smart."

Naruto sat down. "I think it's a bit of everything you just said. It was really easy stopping her and she answered all my questions truthfully. Even if I have had strong teachers who pushed me further than I would have thought possible, she was not much of a challenge."

"So you know who sent her then?" Hinata asked, wide awake. Naruto nodded.

"My father's sister, Ciera Hajin. She's with child. They know who we are." Naruto sighed. "This is so bothersome." Hinata giggled. "Go back to sleep. I'll keep watch. I'm too keyed up to sleep." Hinata smiled knowingly.

"Alright. Wake me up in a few hours to take your place. You need sleep too," Hinata replied, laying back down.

"Got it." Naruto turned to Hinata. "Oh, I want you to know one thing right here and now. You have never been a hindrance, before now and now. Of all the people at home, I trust you the most. And I would never leave you behind. So don't you ever worry about that. Now get to sleep." Hinata laughed and closed her eyes as Naruto turned out the lamp once more. She let the blush out, not bothering to hold it back.

Little did she know, as her heart beat at a thousand miles per hour and her faced turned red, that Naruto, who sat across the room with his back turned to her, was also turning red, his heart going just as fast as hers.

--

Author's Note: Okay, that's a bit better length wise. Still could be longer though. Anyway, until next time. I've got to go beat my imagination because it's too active as usual and inspired yet another freckin story idea! Really, why does anyone need 170 freckin fanfic ideas for?!!!! One of these days my updates will simply cease as my brain overloads and explodes. If anyone ever needs an idea, let me know. I have almost 170 unwritten ideas spanning over 36 categories and more are being added almost every day.


	6. Fireball Fun

Finally, that bloody writers block went away! So here we are with the next chapter. Yay! -celebrates as she hits the update button-

--

The inn was all abuzz the next morning the two Konoha nin made their way downstairs in disguise. Hinata was walking on her own, taking it slowly down the steps as she used the handrail to guide her. As they made their way to the dining room, everyone fell silent. "Oh, we know it's not them!" someone exclaimed. Talk slowly picked up as they were brought their breakfast.

"What did they think we did?" Naruto asked the server.

"Oh, it happened last night," the serving girl said. "One of our guests just upped and vanished. She left all of her things behind even. There's already speculation that she, a known ninja, was taken out by her enemies. But there's not even a body left to proof this. Everyone thinks you had something to do with it just because you're ninja. May I ask what village you're from?"

"We don't have a home village," Hinata told him. "We're only wandering ninja." The girl's face lit up in enlightenment. "That's why our headbands are blank." She smiled.

"Must be lonely." Hinata shook her head.

"Not for one second," Hinata told her proudly. "We don't need much. As for company, my big brother here is more than enough."

"It's obvious you two are close," they were told. "You're really lucky to have such a brother. There are many people who would do almost anything to have such caring family. That's one reason why you can't possibly be the one who was involved with last night's incident. No one who could be that caring and supportive could possibly kill a person in cold blood. Besides, since you guys are wanderer's, that means you don't have any sworn enemy villages." The girl threw them a wide smile and left them.

They ate breakfast quickly and set out, making sure to leave a generous tip at the table. Hinata was smiling brightly the whole time. They passed the morning in small talk. It was uninterrupted until around lunch time.

"Watch out!" a voice shouted out. Naruto looked up in time to see a column of fire descending towards them. Cursing loudly, he grabbed Hinata around the waist and jumped out of the way. They rolled a few times before stopping, the ground they had just been standing on blackened and scorched.

"Mariko, stay still!" Naruto commanded, patting out Hinata's flaming hair. Whatever the flame was, it burnt up everything it touched quickly. Already the hair up to her shoulders was damaged, starting from the bottom. "Your hair is damaged. I'll have to fix it later." Hinata nodded, the bandages falling off. She gasped and hid her face in Naruto's shoulder as she heard footsteps approaching them.

"Brother, my bandages came off!" Hinata whimpered, pretending to be freaked out. Naruto caught on.

"I'm so sorry!" A young man came running up to them. "I'm a ninja from Emerald Valley. I was practicing a new fire jutsu I learned over nearby and lost control of it. Are you two okay?" Naruto looked at him sternly. He was about Naruto's age, with dark red hair and blue eyes. His own clothes were scorched. "Did I burn your face? I'm sorry. Oh, what to do?"

"She's hiding her face because she's still very shy about people seeing the scars from the accident a year ago," Naruto explained. He looked down with disgust at Hinata's damaged hair. "You damaged her hair. It took her a long time to grow it out like that. I'll have to cut it. And that was one of her best feature's too. It made my cute little sister even cuter." The stranger looked really guilty as Hinata couldn't help but blush.

"I have a camp nearby," the guy said, trying to make amends. "You can cut her there with some scissors I have with my things. I promise not to look at her face. Again, I'm really, really sorry." He was clearly freaking out. "Gah, I really screwed up this time! If there's anything else to do to make this up, let me know."

"For now, the use of scissors is enough," Naruto allowed. "But we'll do a rough cut of the damaged hair now." He pulled out a kunai and took a quick swipe, catching the falling hair. Hinata's hair now ended in a jagged edge at her shoulders. He dug around in his leg pouch and pulled out some bandages, hiding Hinata's eyes once more with them. He pulled her to her feet. "Where's your camp at?"

"This way," he said, guiding them through the trees. A fire pit was currently not in use at the center of the camp. A bag was off against one of the trees and he rushed over and found the scissors. "I'll also go catch us some fish for lunch while you trim her hair. It's the least I can do." He grabbed a short fishing pole and went to the nearby pond several feet away, keeping his back turned to them.

"Do you trust me?" Naruto asked, undoing the bandages around her eyes. "I cut my own hair all the time. You just need a trim." Hinata nodded.

_I can trust him with this, _Hinata thought to herself as Naruto manipulated the scissors quickly to give some order back to her hair. He was done quickly, Naruto trying to minimize the risk of anyone seeing Hinata's eyes for what they were. As far as he could tell they were alone. But he wasn't going to take any chances. He re-bandaged Hinata's eyes.

"I saved it all to your shoulders," Naruto reported cheerfully. "Would you like shorter? Now's the time to ask." Hinata shook her head no. Her head felt oddly lighter now that a good bit of hair was now gone.

"I'm sure it looks great," Hinata replied, feeling around for her hair. "I'm just glad it was my hair and not anything else."

"Well, our clothes are nice and black now," Naruto told her teasingly. "It's good thing we have extra clothes. Our skin also has some dark spots on it. Here, I'll get yours off since you can't see your face in a mirror." She felt cold water make contact with her face, accompanied by soft rubbing motions as Naruto scrubbed her face clean.

_By this time this mission ends I'm going to be spoiled rotten, _Hinata thought as this happened, not entirely unhappy with the prospect. _Even after we get back home, he'll have to watch it or he'll still be acting this way. _This thought caused a small giggle and Hinata could faintly see through the bandages a confused expression on Naruto's face, though he didn't say anything.

"I'm going to start a fire. He'll need it to cook. Usually I would say he just use a fire jutsu, but I think we've seen enough of his experience with fire jutsu's," Naruto said, moving away and starting a fire. A soft grinding noise filled the air as he coaxed the fire into life. By the time their host returned with a line full of fish, the fire was hot enough to cook on. "I'll help clean the fish," Naruto volunteered.

Pretty soon the three of them were all eating grilled fish. Naruto did a double take when he heard the guy's name. "The name's Kazuya. Kazuya Uzamaki. It's nice to meet you." Naruto barely managed to not drop his fish. "I-I'm sorry. I've never met a blind person. So if I offend you in some way, shape, or form, I apologize now. It's not intentional."

"I'm Mariko," Hinata said in reply, also catching his last name. "Please, don't feel bad about my hair. It was about time for a cut anyway. My brother is Darun. We forgive him, right? As for offending me because I can't see, don't worrry about it."

"Yeah, he's forgiven," Naruto said, a smirk on his face. "Just promise me to work on your control."

"I promise," Kazuya said as Naruto tossed Hinata's damaged hair into the fire. "So, you two look to be wandering ninja. Are you two going about anything specific?"

"We're looking for our father," Naruto told him. "Our latest lead says he was last seen in Emerald Valley. We're heading there now."

"Emerald Valley?" Kazuya asked, thinking hardly. "I live there, along with my family. I have a pretty good memory. Describe your dad. I'll tell you if I've seen him. If not, I'll take you to my parents. They know everything that goes on in the valley." Naruto mentally sweated. Hinata and Naruto had not settled on a description for their supposed father.

"Uhm, according to our mother's description, really tall," Naruto began, making it up as he went along. "Dark brown, almost black hair, like Mariko's. Eyes the exact same color as mine. He's known for drinking heavily and sleeping around, though he calls himself a ninja. He probably has a ton of kids he hasn't claimed responsibility for out there. We're both his children, born to different mothers. I was raised by Mariko's mom. Can you think of anything else Mariko?"

"That sounds about right," Hinata agreed, making sure to take a moment to think about it. "Mom also said something about him being an expert in....I think genjutsu. But I can't be sure. It's been six months since she passed on and told us." Kazuya looked sympathetic at hearing this.

"So what, you're trying to find him and make him take responsibility then?" Kazuya asked questioningly.

"Nah. We don't need him," Naruto said with a scowl. "We have each other. But it was our mother's last wish that we find him and deliver a letter to him. After this we won't have anything to do with him." Naruto had seen the letter Hinata and Sakura had cooked up to give to 'dad'. It was sickeningly sweet, making Naruto want to barf after just the first few sentences.

"Well, I can't say I've seen him," Kazuya admitted sheepishly. "But if anyone would know, my parents would. Tell you what, if you're willing to wait until the morning to set out, I can show you two a shortcut through the river about ten miles off. It'll get us to Emerald Valley within eight hours. It's a bit rough, because we go on the fastest current in the entire river, but it's a time saver." He grinned. "What do you say? I have room for two more in my boat."

Naruto studied his body language, judging that he was sincere in his offer. "What do you say Mariko? Shall we accept?" Hinata shrugged. "I don't think he's trying to employ his own agenda. Can we see this river on a map?"

Kazuya rolled out a map. "This is my usual training spot," Kazuya explained to Naruto, pointing to black X off the main road. "Which is where we are now. If we go ten miles further up the road and off a side road," he continued to trace out the path with a finger. "It takes us to a small little inlet connected to a big river. The river is one of Emerald Valley power sources and sources of income. With enough experience, one can navigate the tricky currents and cut days off of travel time to the valley, since it's a fast straight shot instead of slow walking or running through various, curvy roads."

"It can cut off days?" Hinata questioned. Kazuya nodded, then remember that Hinata was supposed to be blind.

"Yes, it can. I've been traveling these currents for five years, so I know them like the back of my own hand."

"I don't see a problem with this," Naruto said thoughtfully. "I say we do it. Mariko?"

"Yes, let's," Hinata said optimistically.


	7. The Truth Revealed

Wanted a change of pace, so here we go for the first part of the chapter. It's told from someone else's POV. Also, I'm going to try and work a fight scene in. But I suck at those. I'm better at writing arguments. There will definitely be some action soon, in one form or another. I promise. I'm thinking a potential argument between Ciera and Toki. Also, there's some slight fluff this chapter. So beware if you're convinced you're allergic to fluff. And the next chapter will probably be Minato's will. I'm on a roll since the bloody writer's block went away and will start working on the next chapter soon.

--

Tsunade sighed impatiently. "Please, surely something must be left. He's my nephew. Had I known I would have been here."

Ciera Hajin, of all people, had come into her office that morning, begging for the right to see Naruto's body. "Listen, mam, I can't help you," Tsunade said for the last time. Ciera Hajin sighed, long blonde hair frizzy with pent-up stress. "If I could, I would. But his body was completely incinerated. If it hadn't been in the attack, we would have done so anyway." Ciera looked at Tsunade with distrustful eyes.

"In that case, wouldn't his nearest family be contacted?" Ciera fired off heatedly, settling back down in her chair, one hand on her swollen stomach. "I'm his aunt. Why would you destroy his body? You should have left his burial up to me."

"It's standard procedure," Tsunade explained, fighting to keep patience. "For ninja, they could be used against their village even after death. Though their hearts no longer beat, the technical details of some jutsu's are recorded within their physical bodies. If our enemies got ahold of the bodies of ninja, they could learn things about our village through our jutsu's. It's better for everyone if the bodies are cremated, even if they knew no such jutsu's."

_Shizune, I get some sake for this! _Tsunade thought venomously. _And she should know more about ninja, for crying out loud! Her brother and nephew are ninja! Even one of her parents were ninja!_

"And there was no will?" Ciera questioned sharply. "I know that he knew about me. His teacher approached me, saying he was looking into his student's unknown family."

"You didn't know Naruto," Tsunade said softly, pretending to look sad. "He was fiercely independent and strong-willed. He's gotten by this whole time almost completely on his own. I know he looked into his family. But I think he just wanted closure. He had no identity, his parents not known until recently. Naruto wanted to know for his own sanity. He wanted to know that he didn't pop out of nowhere. Naruto wouldn't have wanted to grow dependent on anyone, not after forging through on his own for so long. Besides, Naruto didn't think enough to have a will prepared."

"He was twenty, right?" Ciera asked. Tsunade nodded. "Such a young age to die at." Tsunade nodded again, wishing Naruto would hurry his butt up and come home. Then this charade could stop.

"Well, thank for your time. I won't bother you anymore," Ciera said, standing up with a groan. Her stomach extended out quite far, so it made getting up a hassle.

"Please, take care," Tsunade wished. "This stress can't be good for your baby. I'm a medical ninja, so I know. Go home and rest. Take it easy. For your baby's sake." Ciera promised she would, knowing that her search was not over.

--

The long row-boat brushed against the rocky shore as Kazuya guided it to a rest. He was grinning stupidly as he got out, completely soaked. Naruto and Hinata were likewise soaked. Luckily Sakura and Kakashi had thought to get water-proof bags for the two before they left. The trip through the river had been rough and chaotic, but it had gotten them a lot closer to Emerald Valley. Naruto had recognized the area from his map as they were rushed through the water.

"Come on," Naruto said, pulling Hinata from the boat. She stumbled and fell into him. "You okay?"

"Yep, fine," Hinata assured, standing on her own.

"Welcome to Emerald Valley," Kazuya said, tossing Naruto their bags, which had been tied down with his own at the back of the boat. "Let's go to my house. We can get dried off and eat there. Then we can ask my parents if they've seen your father."

There were some things that never changed though. Naruto, despite his growth, was still sometimes struck with sudden bad luck. A child's ball rolled towards him as he took his steps forward. His foot hit the top of the ball and he went down on his back, nearly bringing Hinata down with him.

"Gah!" Naruto exclaimed as he fell. Everyone stopped what they were doing as they saw something gold fly from off Naruto's neck. Naruto noticed this and tried to catch it. But it was instead caught by someone else, a slender woman with fiery red hair and cerulean blue eyes. The locket landed open in her hands, pictures up. She saw the pictures and looked at Naruto questioningly.

_Please, don't say anything just yet, _Naruto pleaded silently, meeting her eyes. She handed it back to him without words.

"Well, let's get to the house," she said, distracted. "Wouldn't want you guys in those wet clothes for too long. After we eat a meal together, then we can discuss what you came here for." The man with her pulled Naruto to his feet. She smiled knowingly at Naruto. "My name is Toki, Toki Uzamaki. This is my husband Ryouchi."

"I'm Darun," Naruto told her, accepting Ryouchi's help up. "And this is my sister, Mariko. It's nice to meet you."

They walked through the town, a thriving place. It appeared to be very prosperous and well off. Children ran in the streets freely and parents were content to let them run freely. They entered a large house and were directed to the baths. Ryouchi seemed surprised that Hinata seemed so able to take care of himself. She insisted that she didn't need help running her bath other than someone moving her hands to where the faucet was located at.

Then they all reconvened for dinner. "So, what brings you all the way to Emerald Valley?" Ryouchi asked as he brought over the lasagna he had cooked. "It's very out of the way. So you must have come here with a purpose."

"We're searching for some family," Naruto said offhandedly, wishing for ramen at this point. It had been a few days since he had any, and was surprised that the mission was going so well and swiftly. Something was bound to go wrong soon, he just knew it. "We have leads that tell us the family we seek has been seen here. Kazuya said he hadn't seen him. So we were hoping someone here might have."

"Ah, yes," Ryouchi said, pulling back his bangs. "We heard from Kazuya you seek your father. Regretfully we've never seen him either. But we'll ask around for you."

"Ryouchi dear, entertain the guests," Toki instructed. "I need to go give our dessert some time to thaw before we eat it. I forgot to pull it out while you were cooking dinner."

"Mom, is everything okay?" Kazuya asked with concern. "It looks like you've had something on your mind. It's not like you to forget."

"I'm fine," Toki assured. "Completely fine. Don't concern yourself with me." She walked into the kitchen. There was a crash from the kitchen and Toki came back into the large dining room. "Darun, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you come help me? You're a tall young man with some muscle on your bones."

"Of course," Naruto said, getting up and following Toki into the kitchen. Shattered ceramics lay on the floor, but Toki paid them no mind. She listened to make sure her family and Hinata were distracted for a moment before speaking again.

"That family portrait in your locket, can you tell me more about it?" she requested softly, her hands behind her back. "I'm sure you noticed that the woman in the picture looked exactly like me." Naruto nodded. "Your name's not Darun, is it? And your sister is not Mariko. She's not even related to you at all, is she?"

"No, you're exactly right," Naruto told her. "My name is Naruto. I'm on a secret mission of potentially vital importance. The person I seek is not my father. In fact, I know my father to be dead, along with my mother." Toki couldn't find the words to speak. "The person is my aunt. I only know her last name, which is mine as well. You know it well." Toki nodded.

"Uzamaki," she whispered, her voice trembling. She pulled something from around her own neck, a silver chain with a clear gem on the end, and held it out to Naruto. Naruto took it, gasping as the clear gem turned a violently bright orange. "I knew it. I just knew it. As soon as I saw you arrive with my son. My brother-in-law left that with me when he left his will for you here, saying it would confirm your identity. 'All he has to do it touch it', he said. 'If it's my son, it'll change color.'" She wiped a tear away, coming closer to him. "I'm sorry I was never there. I knew you were alive. But your parents begged me to stay here, so Minato's will could be kept safe. So that someday, you could learn the truth."

Tears came unbidden to her eyes and she crushed Naruto in a hug. "I'm so sorry. But this was all I could for you, so that someday you could come into your proper inheritance." Naruto didn't fight the hug, allowing Toki to vent much pent-up emotions. "I wanted to be there. I did. Please know that. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not mad," Naruto promised her. Her grip on him lessened only slightly. "The fact that you did all of this shows that you really do care. All that matters is that you no longer have to wait." He got out of the hug, handing Toki back her necklace. She shook her head.

"That was my sister's," she explained. "Minato got her an engagement necklace, not a ring. She would have wanted you to have that. Tonight I'll give you the will. My family knows of the situation with my sister. So if you would like, you could drop the act within this house. It's safe."

"I think Hinata would like that," Naruto said. "Let's go tell them." Toki led the way to the dining room.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Kazuya asked, running to his mother's side. Toki glanced knowingly at Naruto and nodded.

"Hinata, it's time to drop the act for now. They know everything," Naruto said proudly. "This is her." Hinata nodded.

"What's going on?" Kazuya asked confusedly, looking at Naruto then Hinata, now glancing back at Toki. "Isn't her name Mariko?"

"Kazuya, this is my nephew, your cousin, Naruto Uzamaki." Kazuya gasped. "Though I don't know Hinata personally."

Hinata took off the bandages, allowing her eyes to be seen. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga. I grew up with Naruto and have liked him for a long time now. I've been helping Naruto find this place and you, because it's important to him. I'm sorry for the deception, but this was deemed necessary by our hokage, because we don't know exactly what his father will contains." She bowed quickly. Now it was Naruto's turn to blush. She grinned at him saucily as she resumed her previous position.

"This calls for a celebration!" Ryouchi declared jovially. "To think that my nephew has come and declared himself." He raised his glass. "To open it up, I propose a toast. To family and budding love!" Naruto and Hinata raised their glasses along with everyone else, both turning the reddest red one had ever seen on a human face. Hinata was outdoing herself on blushing when it came to Naruto.

Kazuya came over and began to joke around with Naruto. The two young men were very much alike, so now that the truth was known, they began to bond. Ryouchi began to socialize with Hinata. Naruto was completely caught up with the festive mood, surrounded by his family and the love of his life. Toki flitted in and out among it, proudly watching the splendid young man her nephew had become.

"Hey, hey! Naruto, do you like ramen?" Kazuya asked out of the blue. Naruto's eyes lit up, confirming Kazuya's suspicion. "Come on!" They ran to the kitchen and Kazuya proudly opened up a cabinet. It was full of instant ramen. Naruto literally began to drool at this. Kazuya laughed wildly and pulled out a few cups of it. Within minutes the two were happily slurping the noodles at the kitchen counter. Both were grinning, the insane smiles lighting up their faces.

"Ah, it's been days since I've had ramen," Naruto said, in ramen heaven at the moment. Kazuya pretended to gasp in horror, patting his cousin on the shoulder supportively. "Seriously, you just saved my life. I owe you one."

"No prob," Kazuya told him gladly. "So, how far have you gone with Hinata?" Naruto blanched, choking on his ramen. Kazuya patted Naruto on the back to clear his throat.

In the dining room, Hinata sat next to Ryouchi. "Hinata, I'm presuming you know Naruto well."

"Y-yes," Hinata stammered. "I-I do. Why do you ask?"

"Would Naruto like to have family with him in Konoha?" Ryouchi asked, dark eyes considering something. "Toki has said on many occasions that once Naruto came, she would like to move to his home to stay near him. We're the only Uzamaki's here. And Toki regrets leaving him alone all this time. I can understand him a lot. I too was an orphan. I didn't even have a last name. That's why I have my wife's last name."

"I think Naruto would like that," Hinata told him, a soft smile hinting at her lips. "He said on the way here he wanted to stay here for a little awhile to get to know you guys. Or at least make plans to come back. But he wouldn't want you guys to put yourselves at an inconvience for his sake. I think that it's enough that you three exist and he knows he has a history now."

"You truly do love him," Toki said, walking over.

"Naruto was the one who has always, always, been there for me. Even when my own family doesn't entirely understand me, he does. He encourages me, sees what I am really feeling. He understands me better than anyone. No one else can compare to him. Even when the rest of my world is completely dark, he's the light shining in the darkness, offering me a helping hand to bring me back to the light," Hinata confessed, blushing once more. "My entire family gave up on me, but he didn't. Leaning on his strength, I've become truly strong and am now forging my own. And my family is beginning to see that."

Ryouchi and Toki smiled at each other romantically, slipping their hands into each other's.

"Naruto, breathe!" Kazuya shouted from the kitchen. Everyone ran into the kitchen to see Naruto choking on ramen. Hinata gasped, relaxing as Naruto managed to swallow the ramen and breathe once more. "Jeez, I only asked how far you had gone with Hinata."

Hinata's heart skipped a beat and she felt like she was going to pass out. Naruto threw his ramen on the ground and dove to catch her as she fainted. "N-n-naruto," she managed to get out before she finished passing out in his arms.


	8. Minato's Will

Naruto sat on the bed in the room Toki Uzamaki had prepared for him, the now orange gem that had been his father's engagement gift to his mother resting in his hands. His bag rested in the corner of the room. Hinata had woken up a few minutes after she had passed out in Naruto's arms. After that, Toki had pulled Naruto aside to show him the will left to her by Minato Namikaze.

_"Your father used a jutsu to record a personal message to you in the crystal now in your possession. When you get some alone time, break the seal with your blood."_

So now Naruto was in his room, preparing to do just that. He bit his thumb and let the blood fall onto the crystal. The crystal clouded over for a moment, then a holographic image jumped out. A tiny version of the Fourth Hokage floated above the crystal. And the tiny image began to speak.

_"This is the last will and testament of Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konoha, to my only child and son Naruto. Hereby witnessed by Toki Uzamaki, sister-in-law to me through my wife Kushina, as well as by Jiraiya, my former jounin sensei and my son Naruto's appointed godfather. My wife Kushina also witnesses. They will see this will enforced in the case of my death._

_First and foremost, I apologize to Naruto should he be getting this. He will probably have gone through a lot to get this. I knew I would most likely die upon sealing the Nine Tailed Fox into you. My final order to the council of Konoha was that you be treated as a hero. Hopefully you've a good life up until this point. But I know the fate of jinchuuriki. They're mistreated and judged for something that is out of their control. They always lead a hard life. So I probably condemned my only child to a hard life. Which is why I left my will with your Aunt Toki, who loves you, even though she has never seen you. Please don't hate her. This, along with your possibly painful life, is all my fault. If you hate anyone, hate me. I can't trust the council of Konoha to get this to you when the time is right. It's fair to say that I've earned every ounce of your hate should you hate me._

_As for why you got your mother's last name, I have many enemies. If they got wind of you, they would go after you, being unable to reach me._

_I can do little for you now. My life has always been consumed by duty. Duty to myself. Duty to your mother. Duty to my home. I had been planning on changing that, to give you the father that you deserve. But it appears that I won't have the chance. The Nine Tailed Fox is ravaging our world, just days before your birth. Naruto, my dearest son, my precious child. I regret that I am unable to show you my love in person. I am so sorry for sealing the demon into you. But I had no right to make someone else make the sacrifice I was unwilling to make myself. All I can do is show you my love through this will. And make this world a little safer for you to live in before my time comes._

_All I can do for you now is leave you all my physical possessions, save for the things in one special room, which I will explain later. This includes my estate here in Konoha, built by own hands. Your Aunt Toki has everything you need to get in, as well as other important documents. It's quite a large house, with several facilities I am sure you will come to appreciate should you become a ninja. May it always be a safe haven for you, a place for you to go when the storm hits you hard. I can only hope that it protects you in every way I am failing to protect you now._

_As well as this house, there is a huge amount of money kept safe in a bank. Use it well. Since I am unable to raise you and buy you the things you need through my own hard work now and throughout your entire life, I leave my life savings to you. This is all I can do._

_Everything in the Namikaze Manor, should you choose to accept it, is yours. The house, the money, every item down to smallest nail in the wall. It's all yours._

_The jutsu I use to record my will in this crystal can only function for a limited time. So my time is short to record this for you. I wish I had more time. Know that I love you. And always will. In my absence, I hope you live a happy life, filled to the brim with the things that complete you. Should any doubt arise, bring this to the current hokage. I won't presume to predict who will be in charge when you get this. Know that with you my love and regret rests. I've left another crystal with your aunt. Please see that my little sister Ciera gets it. It's sealed so that only she can unlock the message within. We haven't talk in years, the last things said in between us was a violent argument when we were teenagers. There's a room in the manor for her and her alone. See that gets the things in the room get into her hands. And convey to her my regrets, that I'm sorry. Again, I am sorry. I hope you all can forgive me. Send my greetings to Toki and her family as well. Kazuya should be born around the same time as you._

_Oh, and never give up on love. If you forget everything else, remember that love is the key. My life was made complete when I met your mother. Kushina is the love of my life. She looks forward to raising you with so much fervor. She'll make a good mother. I hope you find that special someone someday, that one person that completes your heart. You have my blessing in advance for your relationship with her. I trust your judgement. Goodbye, Naruto. I wish you luck with your life. And I send my dearest love. I've done all I can for you. I hope it's enough. And that this fully tells you that I do love you. Though I've probably failed miserably._

_This concludes the final will and testament of Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konoha, husband to Kushina Uzamaki, and proud father of Naruto Namikaze, known to the world as Naruto Uzamaki."_

The image faded out, the gem now having a murky shade of red and silver floating through-out it. Naruto clenched the gem in his hands. "I knew it," Naruto whispered triumphantly. "He loved me. So did my mother. They loved me." He took off the locket his mother had left him, weighing it in his hands along with the other pendant. His family's precious legacy was in his hands. And he would cherish them forever. Smiling contentedly, he turned off the lamp and lay down, his hands closed tightly around them.

_Dad, I don't hate you, _Naruto thought as he closed his eyes. _On the contrary, I love you. It makes me proud to have you as my father. Maybe someday I'll be able to become just like you. Wherever you are now, I hope you're happy. And mom. You too. Maybe someday I'll see you both again. _As he drifted off to sleep, he could have sworn he felt warm hands stroking his hair. He fell asleep smiling.

_--_

Naruto was surprisingly cheerful and fully awake as soon as he opened his eyes. He remembered why as soon as he saw what was in his hand. His fingers were lightly curled around the necklaces. He put them both on, figuring that it was the safest place for them at the moment. "They clash horribly with my outfit. And they're a bit feminine." But deep down inside, he really didn't care. His father could have left the message in a tiara and he would probably proudly wear it. Not that he would be wearing them forever. Once back in Konoha he would have a special box made for them, one that would survive for generations if possible.

Humming a quiet little tune, he exited the room, unsurprised to see the rest of the family up. Hinata sat at the table as well. All looked up as he entered. "Aunt Toki, good morning," he greeted cheerfully, sitting down. Hinata gave him a curious look. He gave her a mysterious smile in return. "Uncle Ryouchi, Kazuya. And of course you Hinata."

Hinata looked away shyly, determined not to blush. "Good morning," she said in return, regaining composure and looking at him again. "You're certainly in a good mood. I take it you slept well." He grinned, his whisker marks becoming more pronounced with the strength of the expression.

"Naruto, here. Take some breakfast," Toki insisted, handing him a full plate. "I'm going with you back to Konoha, at least for a little while. That way no one can doubt what it's your father will. I-"

"I know," Naruto cut in kindly. "You were one of the witnesses." Toki nodded kindly in return. "My father sends his greetings. To you and your family. He said that in his message to me. But we can't go back to Konoha. Not yet." Hinata turned to look at him with confusion in her eyes. "My father left a message behind for his sister, my Aunt Ciera. He wants me to make sure she gets it, as well as what he left her. We'll have to bring her to Konoha. Do you have that as well?" he asked his aunt.

"No, but I know where it is," Toki replied. "Wherever he left the rest of things for her. The message was left with that stuff. I wish we had the ability to track her down. But this is only a normal village."

"Maybe we go to Konoha as Mariko and Darun and ask Tsunade-sama to help us find her?" Hinata suggested. "We can ask Ino to get us in to see her, since she thinks we're looking for our father."

"You're right," Naruto said as starting eating his breakfast. "Ino's an apprentice to Tsunade. We can also ask Sakura and Kakashi-sensei to get us in. They know who we really are. But we'll have to be _really _careful in Konoha. We, or at least I, can't be recognized."

"Why is that?" Kazuya asked. "Isn't Konoha your home?"

"They think I'm dead. We weren't sure what to expect, so we used an chance when I got badly injured in a fight to fake my death and start this mission." This time Kazuya nearly choked.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" he rasped after his father pounded him on the back a few times.

"Not really. Ciera Hajin had been the one who hired the person to attack and injure me in the first place. It was a golden opportunity to slip through her clutches," Naruto informed his cousin. "He wasn't supposed to kill me though. Besides, I'm usually an extreme type of guy. It's all or nothing most of the time." The blonde proceeded to wolf down his breakfast.

"It's true," Hinata mused simply. "He's always been a little chaotic." She laughed lightly, a sound which came across a soft bells. "But that's just a part of who he is." Naruto cast her another grin at that remark.

"Well then, if that's your choice," Toki said. "I'm still going with you. Until we get this situation with your inheritance straightened out, I'm sticking with you. I've waited on the sidelines long enough." Suddenly the resemblance between aunt and nephew was pronounced. Everyone could easily see that these two were related. Both had that determined look in their eyes, as well as a similarly shaped face. Their demeanors practically screamed that the two were related.

"Well, alright, if you want," Naruto said, a twinkle in his eyes. "But you'll have to find a way to fit in with our scheme. Can we count on you?"

"You bet," Toki swore. "When we go see your hokage, I'll let my blood fall on the crystal. According to your father, it'll activate the recorded message I put on there to prove that I was witness. Until then, consider me the 'worried but kind lady who didn't want two young people traveling alone'."

"A.K.A. chaperone," Kazuya teased. Naruto turned to his cousin with a playful scowl. "Even though we all know you wouldn't do anything to Hinata." Everyone got a laugh from that. "Let us help you plan then. Family sticks together. Right mom?"

Toki nodded. "Naruto, I promise. I won't let you be alone again."


	9. Going Home

This will be a short chapter. But I'll try to make the next one longer. I'm anxious to get Naruto and Hinata home, as are some of you, and can't think of any major problems for them to encounter that would be worthy of description. I really am bad at writing strife and fight scenes, and for that I'm sorry. I'm trying to improve.

--

Ryouchi hugged them all before they left the house. "Toki, stay safe and come home to us," he requested. He turned to Naruto. "As for you, I wish you luck. We may not be related by blood, but I love you just the same. Be sure to take care of your lady. May you both reach home quickly and be free to be yourselves." He hugged both Hinata and Naruto.

Hinata bandaged her eyes with a sigh. "Naruto, when we get home and we reveal ourselves, let's go sight seeing or something. You have no idea how annoying walking around like this is." Naruto chuckled.

"Of course," Naruto told her with a smile. "We'll go on a grand tour and not miss a single sight. Does that sound good?" Hinata nodded, trying not to smile too brightly.

"I'll come visit soon," Kazuya promised. "I've been wanting an excuse to go to Konoha. When I do come, you had better take me to this Ichiraku's place. That ramen sounds delicious." The two boys grinned at each other widely and hugged. "Seriously, be careful. We would hate to lose my family so soon after we found it. But don't expect such a wishy-washy greetings as a hug. We are men after all."

"Of course," Naruto swore. "I look forward to the visit. See you around." Waving, the three of them left the house, once more assuming the guises of Mariko, Darun, and their new traveling companion Toki, who would be making sure that the two young people made it home safely. The letter they had cooked up had now been "delivered" and they were resuming their lives and washing their hands of their "father".

"I can't wait to get home," Hinata said wistfully. Naruto nodded, fighting to remember the public relations that they were supposed to be having. Mariko and Darun were siblings, not a couple. And since neither had denied liking each other.......

_Now that I have a name, and a powerful one, I'm sure I can convince Hiashi Hyuuga to let me date Hinata in peace, _Naruto thought to himself. _And if she truly is such a worthless daughter in her eyes, I'm sure he'll be willing to allow me to try and court her. I'm sure she would be happier with me. But I'll ask her in private after this mission is over. The last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable with her own family, no matter how badly they get along._

"Yeah, nice and quiet home," Naruto replied just as wistfully. He laughed after that one inside joke. Konoha was not in the least quiet, not with people like Naruto and Konohamaru around. His hand traveled to his neck, where he felt the two necklaces resting. He would be sure to keep them safe. If he had his way, he would pass them on as heirlooms in his family.

Naruto and Hinata had explained to Toki what they parading around in for their disguise. Now she wore a different outfit, a dark green knee length dress tied at the waist with a golden sash. It was slitted halfway up her thigh, revealing bandages that was often popular with their generation. She looked young enough to be considered one of their generation. This attire was drastically different from the short black pants and red shirt that she wore while not a mission, since she too was a ninja.

"Now don't you two think that we'll be taking the long way," Toki told them seriously. "I've lived in this little valley ever since our home village was destroyed. I've been traveling in this area and know tons of shortcuts. Once we get a bit closer, I'll need you two to lead the way. But in the meantime, follow my lead." Toki was careful not to give anything away.

"Yup," Naruto agreed, happily content. This dratted mission was almost over and he was so close to beginning the process to create his and Hinata's happiness, _if _she agreed to it. His future was taking a turn for the better.

"Well, let's get you two home," Toki practically sang, starting towards the main road. Hinata and Naruto followed after.

Toki Uzamaki was actually very familiar with the area around her home. The time it took to travel back to Konoha seemed to pass in no time. Naruto and Hinata took over when Toki's area of expertise vanished. Very soon the gates of Konoha loomed into view and the two Konoha nin buckled down on their act to avoid being noticed for who they really were. They told the guards they were only passing through and they were allowed entrance to Konoha. They were finally home.

--

Sorry again about the crappy length. The next one should be coming soon, within a day at the latest. Or so I hope.


	10. Ramen, home, and surprises

**IMPORTANT: **Okay, here's the deal. I am leaving for a trip soon and won't have the time to update. Rather, I'm visiting family in Lousiana for a few weeks and will not be focusing on updating while there. My main goal will be to enjoy time with my family. So until I get back on July 13, this is my last update for the time being. I'll also need a couple of days to relax. So the next update should be around July 16, somewhere in that area. Sorry about this, but I haven't seen them in a year. And one of them is my dad.

--

Sakura was eating a bowl of ramen with Ino and Shikamaru that afternoon. "And then," Ino saying, talking about a problem her family was having with their flower shop at the moment. She was interrupted by Shikamaru.

"Isn't that Mariko and Darun?" Shikamaru asked lazily. Ino started at that. Sakura managed to not give anything away, knowing that Mariko and Darun could also be other people. They were common names.

"Mariko! Darun!" Ino thundered, jumping up from her seat. "Did you find your father?" Sakura slowly turned around and fought to contain the smile that was fighting to come out. It was Naruto and Hinata in disquise. Though they were accompanied by someone she didn't recognize.

"Oh, we found him," Naruto said, noticing Sakura. "We delivered the letter and are going home now. But we need to talk to your Hokage first. We were hoping you could introduce us to someone who could get us in to see her. It's very important."

"I'll talk to Tsunade-sama for you," Ino promised. "I'm one of the trainee medic nins under her. So is Sakura here. Sakura, help me get these two in to see Tsunade-sama, will you?"

"Sure," Sakura agreed easily as Naruto's stomach growled. "How about some ramen first though? I would like to hear your story."

"Darun, who's your friend? She wasn't with you the last time we saw you two," Ino asked, pulling them to the ramen stand and ordering three more bowls.

"I'm Toki," Toki said swiftly. "I was worried about these two traveling alone. They're still so young. I've been traveling with him for a few days now and will continue to do do until they are home and safe." While Ino was distracted with talking to Toki, Sakura looked at Naruto questioningly. He answered with his eyes, clearing saying later. Mariko struck up a conversation with Sakura, pretending to be new in town. The five ate their ramen quickly and headed to Tsunade's office. Ino and Sakura were commanded to stay.

"Darun, with your permission?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded. "Ino, you're being sworn to secrecy for a little while. Is that understood? You have a right to know now." Ino nodded questioningly. "Well then, how did it go?" she asked Naruto.

"Complete success, Tsunade-baa-chan," Naruto said. Ino gasped at that honorific. He turned to Ino with a grin, showing the green crystal necklace he had gotten from Tsunade so long ago. "That's right. Hinata and I have been on a top secret mission. During the last mission, I almost did die and it was a perfect chance to set this mission underway." Hinata gladly unwrapped her eyes. He turned back to Tsunade. "I need to talk to my aunt. Do you know where she is?"

"A-aunt?" Ino stammered.

"Well, my other aunt," Naruto corrected himself. "Aunt Toki is right behind me." Sakura smiled.

"Ciera Hajin is still in town," Tsunade told him. "But first you try to escape her and now you want to see her? What's going on?"

"It was my father's will. He left something for her. He asked me in his will to see that she got it. And I will." Now Ino was truly confused. "I know it's confusing at first. Long story short, my father left a will for me with my mother's sister. We didn't know what to expect, so we took no chances. I'm not alone as I thought when it came to my family. I have on my mother's side an aunt, uncle, and cousin. And my father's side has a bit of family as well."

Ino felt tears come to her eyes unbidden. "That's why Tsunade-sama was always saying she was forgetting to add your name to the memorial rock," Ino realized with a gasp. "You weren't really dead. You were on a mission. And here I sat crying for you. You idiot!" Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I had the same reaction until Naruto recruited me for the mission," Hinata gladly told her. "Tsunade-sama, can you please get word to my father that I'm back? It would look funny if 'Darun' here suddenly was without his sister, it would be bad. As a big brother, he's very overprotective." Tsunade roared with laughter.

"Sakura, since you know everything, please go tell Hiashi Hyuuga that Hinata will be home in a few hours," Tsunade requested.

"You knew?!" Ino demanded of her friend/rival. Sakura nodded and left the room. "Who else was in on it?"

"Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-baa-chan, and I think Shizune may know a little. I'm not sure," Naruto recalled. "Oh! Aunt Toki was witness to the will. We have a way to confirm it." Ino realized that Naruto was just as distractable as ever, which made her happy.

"Show me the proof," Tsunade ordered. From around his neck, he pulled out his mother's necklace and handed it to Toki. Toki took it and laid it down Tsunade's desk, biting her thumb to draw blood, in much the same way one would draw blood in order to summon something. A single drop hit the brilliant gem and another hologram popped up from the crystal.

_"I am Toki Uzamaki, twin sister to Kushina Uzamaki, the wife of Minato Namikaze. Hereby I witness the will contained within this necklace to my nephew Naruto. Everything inside it is true and to be enforced to the letter. Until the day he comes to get this will, I will safeguard the documents, deeds, and key to the Namikaze Manor, along with everything else he needs to inherit the inheritance that is rightfully his. This is my witness, true and proper."_

"Wow, I was a lot younger then," Toki said with a laugh as the hologram vanished. "Naruto, would you like to go see your house?"

"Sounds good," Tsunade agreed in Naruto's stead. "Ino, please find Kakashi and drag him in here. Use my name if you must, but don't tell him why, only that I need to see him. As you should know, no one is to know these two are back yet." Ino left the room, a curious look on her face.

"I want details later," Ino threatened playfully. "Once your return is official, we'll talk freely." Shizune was called in to lead them to the Namikaze Manor. Naruto's heritage would be made known in a few short hours and the two Konoha nin would be free to walk around as themselves. Until then, they once again assumed the guise of Mariko and Darun and followed Shizune. Toki assumed her identity as a concerned adult.

The manor had always been visible to them. At the time, everyone had wondered who it belonged to, for no one could get in and no one was ever seen leaving or entering the place. It stuck out in prominence in the village, and many potential hokage's had commented that the place would be perfect for a home for the leader. Some had even tried to get the council to declare it the rightful home of the hokage. But it had not worked and a reason had not been given.

Toki handed her nephew a silver key as they approached the front door. "Welcome home," she said softly as Naruto unlocked the door and walked in, Hinata on his arm.


	11. The Council Assembles

Sorry about the long wait. Been busy. But here's the update.

--

"Wow....." Hinata gasped as she walked in to Naruto's new home and untied her bandages. Everything was clearly dusty. But the grandeur of the place could not be denied.

The entrance hall big, two oak tables on either side of the door. At the very end of the room stood a large door. Naruto walked up to it confidently and turned the doorknob, emerging into a huge living room. Clear plastic sheets lay over all the furniture. Two or three large couches, an entertainment center, two comfy looking recliners. Not to mention the pictures that hung on the walls, or above the brick fireplace. It obviously wasn't lit. Their attention was held by the painting above the fireplace in any case.

"That's my mom," Naruto said in awe, walking over. A beautiful woman with red hair sat in one of the recliners, a tall blonde guy standing behind him. He was absentmindly playing with her long hair. The background was the same living room they stood in.

"Both your parents had beautiful blue eyes," Hinata told Naruto. "Your looks are from your father though. When we were younger, you did look like a child-sized version of the Fourth Hokage. A lot of people thought that."

"Ero-sennin did always say I reminded him of his former student," Naruto recalled. "He said that both my looks and stubbornness made him think that. Do you think he knew?"

"He may have," she conceded. "If he did, there must have been a good reason for not telling you."

"No doubt," Naruto agreed. "He was probably thinking about my safety. If we think it through, maybe he didn't want anyone knowing. It was well known he had a lot of enemies. If they would have found out he had a child, they may have gone after me, being unable to get at him. Everything I know about my parent's would suggest this. Hey, let's go look around some more. I want to fund my Aunt Ciera's room. I would like to get her here as soon as possible. So we can solve this."

They found two sealed rooms among those they discovered. One was the master bedroom, which was the personal sanctum for both his parents. A room off of that room was actually a nursery, decorated in blues and whites. With a heart wrenching pang, he realized that his mother Kushina must have intended this room for her only child's use until he was old enough to sleep away from her. He took off a plastic sheet from the dresser in the room and opened it's drawers. Infant's nightgowns and clothes filled them.

"If only my mother had lived," Naruto said remorsefully. "She would have been an amazing mother. Any child would have been proud to claim her as mom." Hinata put a comforting hand on his shoulder, smiling brightly. "Sorry. Being a soft-hearted idiot, aren't I?"

"No. You're acting properly," Hinata said. "I would just like to be here for you. That's all." Naruto smiled back for her.

The second room was protected by a room with a dark red door. A nameplate on the door pronounced it as Ciera Namikaze's. Both marked the door in the minds, not trying to open it. Naruto did look at where Ciera had to drop her blood to unseal it for when she came by.

"Hinata, I'm gonna summon some clones to help me clean up this place," Naruto said after a full exploration of the house.

"Okay. I'll help," Hinata volunteered.

"No," Naruto told her. "You're my guest. I know you can't go home yet. But neither can I make you work." He summoned some clones and equipped with cleaning supplies. Hinata came over all the same and took some all the same.

"And I'm just supposed to do nothing while you work?" Hinata questioned. She shook her head. "Not happening. I'm going to help you. You spoiled me on this mission and I have to get out of that behavior." She led some clones off to another room to clean that room. Naruto only shook his head as he smiled. The girl he loved definitely had some spunk to her. No one could deny that. Then he started cleaning the living room with a few of his clones.

--

It was a few hours later when he and Hinata waited to be let into the council room after Tsunade had told them it was time for the regular council meeting. They waited, their hands unknowingly creeping towards each other's. Hinata was more nervous than Naruto. "We have one new overwhelming order of business to discuss," Tsunade announced. They couldn't see, but they could hear.

"Tsunade-sama, what are you talking about?" Hiashi Hyuuga asked politely. Hinata gripped Naruto's hand tighter.

"Leave this to me," Naruto told Hinata softly, looking at her directly. "I have a plan. Just let me do my thing." Hinata nodded, pulling her hand out of Naruto's.

"I mean something urgent has come up. Konoha will never be the same after this day," Tsunade said in response to the Hyuuga leader. "The Fourth's only living descendant has showed up to claim what's rightfully his. I oversaw everything myself. He's the real thing." Many of the council members gasped.

"Tsunade," Danzo rasped. Old age was finally catching up with him. "The Fourth died childless. We all know that. I say it's time we seize the Namikaze Estates and officially make the Hokage's home."

"Wrong." The way Tsunade spoke left no room for doubt. "As you all know, he had many enemies. His child was never told until recently about his parentage and he was given his mother's last name to protect him until he was old enough to fully protect himself."

"And who do you claim is the Fourth's heir?" Inoichi Yamanaki asked calmly.

"Naruto Uzamaki," Tsunade declared boldly. "He faked his death to retrieve his father's will, which was left in the hands of his aunt, Toki Uzamaki. Hinata Hyuuga accompanied him, at his request and my approval."

"This can't be!" Danzo sputtered incoherently. "All of the Fourth's possessions were left in the hands of the council to take care of. Are you saying the jinchuuriki is now the owner of the mansion on the hill? I won't accept this. I encourage the council to also do likewise."

No one so far had noticed Toki Uzamaki's presence in the council room. "You won't touch a single thing of my nephew's!" Toki shouted, apparently standing up. "My brother-in-law knew you would hate and despise Naruto just for what he had inside him. He knew the people of Konoha would do everything they could to make his life a living hell. So he left the will with me, the only person who actually cared about him. You will not descrate his will and you will not pull such an injustice on Naruto!"

"If you cared about him, why were you never there?" Danzo shot back. Naruto was smiling. His aunt was taking care of everything. "Where were you hiding? Let me guess. You were ashamed to have a demon for a nephew!" Silence fell like a bomb within the room.

"That's out of order!" Inoichi said, a slamming sound coming into Naruto and Hinata's range of hearing. "Naruto Uzamaki may be a jinchuuriki. But we all know he _is not _a demon. We have seen proof of that on so many occasions. If Tsunade-sama says Naruto is his heir, then I for one believe her. Look at the Fourth's picture. Naruto is a splitting image of the Fourth. No one can deny what we see with our eyes."

"I agree," Hiashi Hyuuga intoned. "Tsunade-sama, please call them both in. Let's hear his words." Everyone agreed. Without waiting for Tsunade's bidding, he walked in, Hinata right behind him.

"Good afternoon, father," Hinata said respectfully with a bow. "I apologize for leaving without telling you. But Naruto asked for me personally on this mission and there was no time to tell anyone. We were under orders to not say goodbye anyway." Hiashi smiled and bowed back, shocking everyone. Especially Hinata, who was the most confused of them all.

"I too apologize for that," Naruto said. "But I knew without a doubt Hinata was to be my partner for this mission. There was no other." He didn't bow, but he did show respect. "As for my mansion, I have already moved in. We cleaned it while Tsunade prepared for this council meeting. If anyone has doubts, they can be sure to approach me and I will show them all the proof they need. The will is recorded via a jutsu. All I need to do is drop a little of my blood onto the crystal. Toki Uzamaki, my aunt, was witness, and a drop of her blood can proof that as well."

"Naruto, would you be willing to answer a few questions?" Hiashi asked.

"Of course," Naruto replied. "What would you know? If I can answer it, I will."

"Tell us of your mother. We found no records of any Uzamaki's living here before you," Hiashi requested. Naruto chuckled.

"You would be hard-pressed to," Naruto informed the council with a foxy grin. "My mother was Kushina Uzamaki. She's the daughter of the leader of the fallen Whirlpool Village. And as you know, dead. I was born as the Nine-Tailed-Fox attacked. The attack caused stress, which produced complications in the delivery. She died shortly after naming me. My father then took me, a newborn baby, and sealed it into me. He did not feel it right to ask another mother or father to make a sacrifice he himself was unwilling to make."

Even Danzo was shocked into silence. "My daughter, was she of help to you?" Hiashi then asked. Hinata looked afraid that the little show of respect her father had shown would now be revoked.

"I would be lying if I said otherwise," Naruto reported with a huge smile. "Without her, I don't think it would have gone nearly as well. She has quite the talent, in more ways than one. There could have been no better partner for this mission. And for that, I thank her now." Hinata began to blush furiously.

"I move we accept this," Hiashi recommended. "Naruto's succession has my blessing."

"And the Yamanaka Clan approves as well," Inoichi seconded.

"The Aburame family does as well," Shibi Aburame said.

"As does the Nara Clan," Shikaku said proudly. "Naruto has turned to be an excellent ninja. We'll have to watch him carefully now. Just to see how high he climbs."

"Tsume Inuzuka speaks for her entire clan when she agrees."

"As does the Akimichi Clan."

One by one, all save for Danzo, gave their blessing. Naruto's eyes went wide. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. But here it was happening. Danzo left the chambers in a rage, as fast as his aged body would take him. "So it's approved," Tsunade said. "Let it be known that the Fourth has an heir and is to be treated justly. Naruto, just to show them your good will, let us see the will. I've already seen it once."

Naruto pulled off the diamond necklace and bit his thumb to draw blood. His father's hologram appeared and spoke. Once it finished, he held it out to his aunt. "Aunt Toki, if you could please do your part." Toki smiled and did her part. His aunt's voice filled the room.

The curious atmosphere was only interrupted by Shizune. She came in and whispered something in Tsunade's ear. "Naruto," Tsunade said as she left. "Ciera Hajin has been found and told of the situation. She's on her way here now."


	12. Here comes Trouble!

I've received several predictions of trouble. And there will be some. Just maybe not in the way you all expect.

--

Hiashi Hyuuga gave the newly named successor a curious glance as he sat down on the table near him. Hinata sat nearby him in the chair. He seemed quite content to wait in silence as Ciera Hajin made her way here. Five minutes of silence later, the door opened once more. Kakashi led a blonde young woman, obviously late into her pregnancy into the room. Naruto stood up.

"Ciera Hajin, I presume," Naruto greeted. "I'm so glad you came. My father left you something. I don't know what it is, but I would like to make sure you get it. It's at the house my father left me."

"You look just like my brother," Ciera said in a hushed whisper. "You say he left me something?" Naruto nodded. "Then let's go." She moved to take a step, stopping and clutching her stomach. Everyone froze. Tsunade looked ready to rush into action. "Sorry. My baby has quite a kick. Makes it hard to move at time." She chuckled. "We have a lot to talk about."

Naruto courteously offered his aunt an arm and began to help her walk from the room. "It's no problem. And we do have a lot to talk about. Are you familiar with blood seals? It's what you'll need to break with just a drop of your blood to see what he left you....." The rest of their conversation was lost as they left hearing range. Hiashi approached his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We too need to talk," Hiashi said seriously. "Let's go home first though. This is family business." Hiashi and Hinata now left. They weaved their way through the streets of Konoha. Everyone waved to Hinata as they saw her home from what they thought was a normal mission. She waved back half-heartedly. She was a little afraid of what her father wanted to talk about. When they reached the Hyuuga compound, he opened the door. Hanabi waved demurely from the front porch as she saw her big sister.

They stopped in the family's private quarters. Hinata dropped her bag to the floor and sat down on a cushion. Hiashi sat down opposite her and asked for some tea to be brought. Once they were served, Hiashi took a sip and began to talk. "I've been thinking......"

"May I ask about what?" Hinata inquired.

"Your future," Hiashi told her sternly. Hinata gulped. "I was quite shocked to hear that you were requested for such a top-secret mission. It made me start to think I've been a little harsh. I was raising you the way I was raised. But you're not me. Speak honestly. What would you like you for your future."

"Well..." Hinata started, twiddling her thumbs. "I would like to pass down my position as heir to Hanabi."

"And why is that?"

"See, I know I wouldn't make a good head of the family. I'm not serious enough. It's a part of my personality, not a lack of skill. Hanabi is much more suited to the position than I am," Hinata explained. "I'm just too softhearted. It would take a lot to mold me into a proper future leader, and you've already begun training Hanabi to be heir."

"It seems prematurely," Hiashi said with a small smile. "You've changed. But tell me. I know you're being honest. But there's another reason, isn't there?"

"It's N-Naruto," Hinata confessed to her father, looking at her knees guiltily. "I'm desperately in love with him. He's always been there to encourage me. During this mission with him, I realized he shares the same feelings. I rarely even stutter now, only after such a short time with him. But he won't press it. He doesn't want to cause me any problems with my family. He knows how my relationship with the family is already strained."

"I see," Hiashi mused. "You bring up valid points. Hanabi has already begun to adapt well to the training. You take more after your mother while she's more like me."

"M-Mother?" Hinata got out squeakily. "I barely even remember her."

"Your mother was a free spirit. She was very shy, just like you. She didn't have your confidence problem. That's because of my mistake with you. I see her in you now more than ever. As head of this clan, I'm supposed to not approve of, even forbid, relationships outside the clan. I would prefer you choose someone who has the Byakugan at his command as your romantic partner. But now I am not speaking as head of the clan." Hiashi stood and kneeled before his daughter, cupping her pale cheek in his large hand.

"As your father, I want you to choose someone you'll be truly happy with," Hiashi told her. Hinata gasped. "If it's someone outside the clan, well, I can't help that. You don't do flings. Love does not operate in the logic of man's ways. Consider yourself warned." Hiashi smiled. "Spend as much time with him as you like. I'll only object if it puts you in danger, whether emotional or physical." Hinata's eyes began to tear up.

"I-I can stay with Naruto?" Hinata asked in shock. "No one will raise any objections? Of course, if he does ask me out. He hasn't taken any action yet."

"The other elders will most likely," Hiashi pondered. "But they aren't the one in charge. They act only as advisers. If I say you can see someone outside the clan, you will just leave them to me. I can honestly say I warned you. Your mother's free spirit is showing up. I couldn't control her, not that I wanted to, and I can't control you."

"Thank you," Hinata sobbed. "You have no idea how much this means to me. No idea."

"Tonight I will have a private dinner with you. And we will talk. Get to truly know each other," Hiashi informed his oldest daughter. "I'll learn what I need to learn to make you happy and keep this clan running well. Are you agreeable?"

"Yes, sounds fun," Hinata said honestly. "But I would like to go freshen up first. I've been on the road awhile. May be I be excused?" Hiashi offered her a hand up. "Thank you. I'll be back in time for dinner." She left the room with a smile on her face, feeling closer to her father than she had in years. Her heart was leaping for joy at the celebratory news she had just heard. She would be allowed to see Naruto. Already she was mentally planning to go see Naruto tomorrow. She wanted to go this evening, but she knew he and his aunt would need some time.

--

Naruto walked up to his door with his aunt by his side. He unlocked the door and showed her to the living room. "Would you like to take a break?" Naruto offered, seeing how exhausted the trip had made her.

"If I could get something to drink?" Ciera asked. Toki and Tsunade had followed.

"I don't have anything in the house yet," Naruto said regretfully. "I just moved in literally a few hours ago."

"Here, some water I have left," Toki offered kindly, holding out a half full water bottle. "That's all I have."

"Thank you," Ciera said gratefully, not caring about backwash. "Why are you being so kind? I tried to have you killed. And you're all being totally nice to me. Shouldn't you be at least mad? Something other than nice."

"People change," Naruto said simply. "Besides, it's obvious you're willing to talk in the light of new circumstances. We aren't unreasonable people. Also, my father wanted to make sure you got what he left you. Aunt Toki, do you happen to have the crystal he left for her on you?" Toki dug around in her bag and pulled out a fiery red crystal. Ciera smiled.

"Red's still my favorite color," Ciera noted with a laugh. "When we were children, he always picked me red flowers and made a bouquet."

"Aunt Ciera, why did you and my father not get along?" Naruto asked his aunt.

"When we were younger, I always felt left out," Ciera began to explain. "Our parents were ninja's. And he was the a natural ninja. As well as a perfect son. Minato could no wrong. And my parents were so proud of my do-no-wrong older brother. Everyone expected me to be like him, since we were siblings. But I didn't want to be a ninja, like everyone was expecting of me. I knew I wasn't cut out to be one. I liked gardening and interior decoration. My parents freaked out when I came of age to begin academy and I refused to go. Minato even tried to step in for me, saying I was free to make my choice. In the end, my parents had no choice but to accept my choice, though they refused to come around, even until they died three years. I took over the family, since Minato was dead too."

"I'm sorry," Naruto said. "I can't imagine how that would feel. Some people just aren't cut out for ninja careers. Some are dead set on it. But we can't all be ninja."

"Naruto, why are you a ninja?" Ciera asked, her curiosity evident in her expression. "You weren't forced into being one, were you?"

Naruto full out laughed. "No. In fact, people were dead set against me becoming one. They complained about it for a long time. But my determination won out over their complaints. My goal is to become the hokage. To prove everyone wrong. They said I would amount to nothing. But I'll shove it all in their faces when I become hokage. Just wait and see. I'll show them all just how wrong they were."

"When that day comes, I hope we can speak freely," Ciera wished fondly. "I regret what I did. Truly I do. Can you ever forgive me?" Naruto's tired face lit up. "If you can't I understand. But I would like to be a part of your life."

"Believe it," Naruto swore. "Consider it all past and forgotten." Ciera looked exultant at that, but her happiness turned into a pained expression. "What's wrong?"

"My water just broke," Ciera moaned. "My baby is about to born. We need a doctor." Tsunade had been on guard just against this. In an instant, she took charge.

"Naruto, get me water, rags, and blankets," Tsunade barked, positioning Ciera Hajin in a laying down position on the couch, her legs on the coffee table. Naruto did just that, deciding to optimize the clones.

"You heard her! Get the things she needs! Double time it!" Within minutes, she had the things. Toki assisted her. As for Naruto, he was ceremoniously kicked out of the room. Now he waited outside in the entrance hall for his cousin to be born.


	13. The Joyful Times

Yes, this story is almost over. Darn, it was kinda short. No matter. But there's still one more chapter. So keep up with it until then please. :)

--

The living room was apparently a busy place. Tsunade was issuing out orders at a rapid pace, talking Ciera through the birth. Apparently it was her first birth. Several times she cursed the unpredictable nature of pregnancies and the lack of a proper set of supplies. They had no time to get her to a hospital. Ciera was obviously in a lot of pain. Toki was doing what she could as Tsunade's impromptu assistant and was trying to talk with Ciera to help distract from the pain where it was possible.

With a chuckle, Naruto realized his family was growing by the day. First an orphan. Then two aunts. Both were married and one already had a child. The second was about to have a brand new baby. He was already partially shocked. He had just wanted to inherit the property and possessions that were his by right of birth. Instead the council had just named him his father's successor. Did that mean he was expected to rebuild the family? He groaned. His mind was much too busy for someone his age.

He wasn't sure how much time passed. He didn't have a watch and the clocks on the walls weren't working. Their batteries had been dead for years and he hadn't gotten around to replacing them yet. Finally though he was called in. Naruto slowly opened the door, trying to keep quiet as possible. Ciera Hajin was now resting comfortably on the couch, propped up by pillows. She held a squalling child in her arms. "Naruto, come see your cousin," Ciera invited as he came closer. "Luckily we had already decided upon names."

Naruto looked at his cousin. He wasn't sure of the gender yet, which was usually shown by blanket colors, but the newborn had wispy blonde hair. During the rare instances the eyes were open, he caught glances of smoky green. "Boy or girl?" Naruto asked in wonder.

"Girl," Ciera replied proudly. "Natalyn Sakurai Hajin, meet your cousin Naruto." Newly named Natalyn stopped crying and looked up at Naruto curiously, drool bubbling on tiny little lips. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Is it safe?" Naruto asked quickly. "She looks so tiny and I've never held a baby. What if I hurt her?" Ciera quietly laughed.

"Sit down and I'll teach you how," Toki said warmly. She positioned his arms into a supportive position and Tsunade brought the newborn over. She cooed as she looked at her cousin once more. Naruto couldn't help but smile. He held out a finger for the newborn to hold and Natalyn slowly took it.

"You sure are pretty," Naruto complimented. She gurgled. "I bet you that your mommy will love the daylights out of you." Natalyn started crying and he passed her back to Ciera.

"I would like you to come to the hospital," Tsunade requested of Ciera. "You and Natalyn need proper care and attention now. Naruto, would you help me take your aunt and cousin to the hospital?"

"Of course," Naruto said quickly. At Tsunade's instruction, Ciera was wrapped in a clean blanket and he picked her up. Natalyn was held by Tsunade, the far more experienced one. They were quickly settled in, Natalyn dozing in a soft bed in her mother's room. Ciera was exhausted from the birth. She fell asleep as Naruto left her, returning to his home to help Toki clean up the now messy living room.

That night, they ate a simple dinner and he stayed with him in his house. The next morning, he was off to visit his aunt and new cousin once more. Hinata dropped by at around ten. She looked so happy. "Ah, Naruto's not here," Toki said regretfully. "Ciera's baby decided it was time to come out and she was born in Naruto's living room last night. He's at the hospital now visiting them."

"A new baby?" Hinata asked excitedly.

"I was just about to go visit them about myself," Toki said. "Would you like to come? I'm sure Ciera won't mind." The two women made their way to the hospital, where Ciera allowed Hinata in.

"Aunt Ciera, this is Hinata," Naruto introduced. Hinata gave a slight bow. "Hinata, my aunt."

"Congratulations on your safe birth," Hinata said, looking at Natalyn as she slept. "She's such a cutie. No doubt the boys will go crazy for her when she's older. Now see here, little one. Make sure you pick the right one. Your true love is only one in this world. Hopefully you find him someday." She laughed.

"You two like each other, don't you?" Ciera asked as Natalyn woke up and began to cry for food. Ciera began to breast-feed her. Both turned red.

"Well, we never denied it," Naruto confessed sheepishly. "But her family is very specific on that matter. I don't want to cause any problems." That reminded Hinata of something.

"Naruto, father gave his blessing," she said excitedly. Naruto's eyes went wide. "As long as I'm happy. He says he'll deal with the Hyuuga elders. He won't interfere unless I'm put in danger of being hurt." Naruto grinned and spun Hinata around in the air. "We can be together freely! It's so awesome." Naruto set her down on the floor once more. Everyone was joyful in the room.

"Nothing could make this day more perfect," Naruto gushed. "The love of my life happy beside me. My new cousin so healthy and content. And getting along with all my family. What more could I ask for?"

"Today is a day for joy," Toki reflected. "In every aspect. And soon my family will be here. Though we'll have to find a place to stay."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto objected. "You guys can stay with me if you want. It'd be lonely in that big old house by myself. There's plenty of room." Toki beamed and hugged her nephew.

"Uhm, Naruto?" Ciera asked slowly. "We were thinking about moving here too. Would you mind us living in the same town as you? My husband and I will find a private place to stay were thinking about moving anyway. We just weren't sure where." Naruto couldn't have been happier with this arrangement.

"It would be amazing if you guys lived in Konoha," Naruto told her. "Totally amazing. Of course I wouldn't mind." Natalyn cooed even louder, sensing the peaceful atmosphere and basking in it. "And of course I can see my new cousin every day." Natalyn was laughing as Naruto played with her.

"I'm so glad for you," Naruto said, leaning in against Naruto's side to admire Natalyn, who didn't mind the attention. "You have a family now."

"And an awesome girlfriend. That is, if Hinata accepts." Naruto's foxy grin simply could not be erased from his face.

"Do you even need to ask?" Hinata asked joyfully. "Of course I'll accept."

"That's it. I have a plan," Naruto declared. "As soon as everyone is present, including Aunt Ciera's family if they choose to stay here, I'm throwing a party. We'll have all my family, some of yours Hinata. Sorry. You have one big family. We throw some friends in there and we're all set. Food, music, a comfortable setting. It'll be perfect."

"And I'll help," Hinata volunteered with a radiant smile. "It'll be perfect, just like you said."


	14. The Party Last Chapter

Here it is. *Sniffles* The last chapter. Ah, such a sweet pairing. I can never get enough of it. This should be short.

--

The party took three weeks to plan. By the time Natalyn had been born, Kazuya and Ryouchi had finished packing apparently and had started moving towards Konoha the very next day. It took them a little while to arrive, since they had to bring their things, plus Toki's. But soon enough they arrived. The first thing Kazuya wanted to do upon arriving was to go to Ichiraku's. Naruto was all too glad to humor his cousin, since during all the chaos surrounding his return he had completely forgotten Ichiraku's.

Ciera's husband packed up on his own and left to join his wife in Konoha as soon as he had gotten word of what had happened and her choice. Natalyn's birth had put all thoughts of what her brother had left her out of all their's mind for awhile. Natalyn held all of their hearts. Naruto seemed to be one of her favorites. Next to her mommy of course. No one could replace her mommy.

At the moment, all of Naruto's family were at his house. Toki and Ryouchi were putting the final touches on the food table. Kazuya and Hinata were arguing about what type of music to play, much to the blonde's amusement. Ciera and her husband Randolph, who lived just down the hill from her nephew, were sitting on the couch while Naruto held Natalyn in his arms, where she tried to grab the brightly colored gems hanging from around his necks. He enjoyed playing with her by taking off one of them and dangling it in front of her, where her little hands tried to grab it. She never tired of the game.

"You'll make a great father someday," Ciera said as she watched Natalyn coo at the reflected light shining out from the orange gem in his hands. Hinata fumbled with the CD's she held nearby them. Kazuya laughed at her, earning him a playful smack from Hinata.

"Maybe," Naruto agreed absentmindly. Natalyn was yanking on his shirt collar, obviously demanding her cousin's full attention. "Alright, you have my attention." Natalyn actually grinned, making her parents think that already their nephew was rubbing off on her.

"Naruto, you have some people coming up the hill," Kazuya reported. "A large crowd."

"That's my cue," Naruto said happily, handing Natalyn to Ciera. She cried for a moment, but her mother quickly put a pink pacifier in her mouth. "Don't worry. We have our whole lifes ahead of us." As he stood someone knocked at the front door. Hinata joined him, and holding hands, went to greet the guests. Playful banter and greetings were tossed around as they filed in.

The music started to play; a soft, quiet party tune composed to not overpower conversations. Hinata had won the argument over the music. "Naruto! You sly ol' dog!" Kiba yelled from across the room. "You were hiding such a heritage all this time." Kiba made his way through the living room.

"I didn't know myself," Naruto corrected with a sly grin. "Not until about a month and a half ago. Went from orphan to a big family. Who would have thought?"

Ciera came over, Natalyn in a sling on her chest. "Naruto, can you hold her a few minutes? I need to use the bathroom. It's much easier without her and she loves you." Naruto gladly took his younger cousin in her arms, where she tried to grab the necklaces right away. "Thank you. I'll be right back."

"Natalyn, this is Kiba, one of my friends," Naruto said, showing Kiba the young baby. Kiba smiled softly and offered her a finger. Natalyn grabbed onto it quickly, a stubborn expression on her face. "Isn't she a cutie?"

"Yeah, she is," he agreed. "Spunky too. Look at that facial expression. Defiant little one." Natalyn cooed.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a kid already," Ino teased as she came up. Naruto only laughed. Hinata turned bright red as she talked with Tenten nearby. "Is Naruto being nice to you? He'd better be." She held out her hands, offering in a way an infant could understand to pick her up. Natalyn responded by grabbing onto Naruto even tighter.

"Sorry. She's kinda latched herself onto me," Naruto said with an apologetic expression. Ino chuckled. "She luvs cousin Naruto. And cousin Naruto luvs her." Everyone around them was stymied to see Naruto using babytalk language." Natalyn's smile could have lit up the room. Ciera came back then and Natalyn went back to her mother.

"My, look at smile," Ciera wondered. "Cousin Naruto is being a good cousin, isn't he?" She lifted her daughter into the air and nuzzled their noses together. Natalyn then decided to yawn.

"We set a room for just this situation," Naruto informed her. "There's a cradle fully set up with a baby monitor upstairs if you would to lay her down there to sleep. That way you can still have fun at the party. I could even make a clone to sit with her."

"That would be lovely," Ciera said. "Can you show the way?"

"Follow me," Naruto said. He led the way upstairs. It was a lot quieter up here. He opened a door up right off the top of the stairs. As Ciera settled the dozing Natalyn in, Naruto made two clones and gave them their orders. If Natalyn needed something that Ciera didn't pick up on the monitor, one of them was to dispel itself. Naruto would know then what she needed and could get Ciera. Both of them quietly left the room. All was well with the family. All was well within Konoha. As they rejoined the party, Naruto couldn't help but say this to himself. Konoha would never be the same to him again.


End file.
